Revelations
by The Smiling Fox
Summary: He would take everything and anything from Sasuke, and he was willing to give him that. Sasuke's time spent with Orochimaru, his rescue, and his growth back in Konoha. Fatherly KakaSasu and brotherly NaruSasu in later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: **Lol. Sooo, yea. First story on here! Take it easy on me, little ones. I hope it will please all of you to know that I have no life, so I will be able to update this many times. Lawl. So, yea, here we go. Or something along those lines. This story will be based on Sasuke's time with Orochimaru, how **I **think it should have been like. Oh, and I pretty much enjoy abusing the Uchiha's curse mark. So be prepared, kiddies. Some harsh language, too! Don't like. Don't read.

And, uh, I don't own Naruto. If I did, Sasuke-kun would be everyone's uke...

_Chapter 1_

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><p>The storm was coming, and dark clouds were rolling overhead. They were bloated, full and heavy with oncoming rain. Sasuke's eyes averted upwards towards them. They were cold and desolate, and he blinked once as a small water droplet hit him on the forehead. He returned his gaze to the building before him and a small shiver ran up his spine. This place <em>reeked <em>of sickness. Mental sickness. If he didn't have such a damn big ego, he would have turned and run right there, all the way back to Konoha. But he did, and so he stayed put. Thunder began to rumble above, and somehow he managed to take a step towards the shrouded entrance. Another step. Then another.

_'Move faster, dammit!'_ He ordered himself, body jerking slightly at the sudden and forceful command. Indeed, he sped up, and entered into the base. He jumped as the entrance closed off, strong, stone doors closing him in like some kind of animal. His sharingans activated due to his shock, and he quickly settled his nerves down. He couldn't show weakness. Never again could he show weakness. A chuckle echoed around him. It was deep, and the vibrations of it rolled over him like a wave. But he did not falter. He stayed still, red, beaming eyes staring straight ahead of him. He _had _come here of his own free will. He knew what trouble he was getting into right from the beginning, and he would not turn back now.

"Sasuke-kun. You've finally arrived... I was beginning to worry about you." The man's voice sounded again, this time closer. The boy felt something on his shoulder, fisting his hands for a split second. He refused to shudder. The older man laughed again.

"Are you frightened, Sasuke-kun?" Orochimaru purred in his ear and opened his golden eyes. This time, Sasuke did shudder. His entire body did. Those piercing, yellow eyes. Ones that belonged to a predator. The Uchiha took a small step away from the man, now seeing how close he was to him. Orochimaru hissed and stood up straight, eyes still glued to the child before him. He grinned, finally allowing a dim light to come on behind him. The torch hardly lit anything up. Sasuke could see the man's tall, frail outline standing in front of him, and he narrowed his crimson eyes.

"Stop fucking with me, Orochimaru.." The boy said through gritted teeth. He was, in fact, impatient. It seemed this man was not anything of the sort.

"Such harsh words, my boy," Orochimaru reached out with his left arm, quickly snagging Sasuke's jaw in a bone crushing grip. The child grunted and grabbed his wrist, panicking slightly. The snake let out another soft laugh, "I won't tollerate it from you." Sasuke was thrown to the floor, gasping slightly and pinning the man with his eyes. Orochimaru's smile was gone, replaced with an emotionless stare. The torch behind him went out, and the room fell into darkness.

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><p>Orochimaru stared down at the boy before him, bloodied and bruised from the past lesson. His eyes looked him up and down, and he licked his lips sinisterly. This boy was <em>perfect<em>. Agonizingly perfect. How he wanted to just take him right there and make him his new body. But he had to wait. The boy was not yet strong enough. Not at all. This was only the beginning, and yet he'd already passed out from the physical pain of it all. A small grimace formed on the man's lips. Oh yes, he'd need much more training. Of course, he had heard that Naruto had caught up to Sasuke. They had fought, and the Uchiha had come out the winner. This was Sasuke's weakened state. He needed to look at it from a logical stand point. Some pain tollerance training would do the boy some good, though. That would have to come later. He sighed and scooped the boy up roughly, carrying him off to Kabuto for healing.

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><p>Sasuke grunted, fingers twitching unconsciously. He felt cold. Freezing, in fact. The boy rolled onto his back and lifted his arms up, but seized up in pain as he did so. His eyes wrenched open, vision blurry and unfocused. He forced himself into a sitting position and panted from the amount of effort it took. Sasuke tried controlling his breathing, but failed. He once again slowly, and carefully, lifted his arms up. They were wrapped in bandages. In fact, his entire chest was, as well. The Uchiha studied himself for quite some time and tried desperately to remember what had happened. Things began to come back to him, and his head snapped up. No, this wasn't Konoha. It was, instead, a small, cramped room. One bathroom, no window, one lamp. His eyes roamed slightly, taking in the new enviroment. Chill bumps covered his body, and he pulled at the thin blanket covering his lower half. It did little to nothing, but it was better than having no blanket at all.<p>

The boy jumped as his door was thrown open, a familiar figure standing in his line of sight. Kabuto strutted in, smiling pleasantly and shutting the door behind him. Sasuke glared defiantly. This man had never rubbed him the right way, and that certianly was not going to change now, or anytime soon, for that matter. The young man made his way towards the boy, turned on the lamp, and roughly grabbed the Uchiha's bandaged arm. Sasuke let out a painful moan, but cut himself off. Kabuto gave him another pleased look, as if he enjoyed hearing the frustrated and agonized grunts. The younger male tore away from him a minute later.

"What the hell do you think you're doing." He commanded. If he was injured, he could take care of himself. He didn't need this man touching all over him. The medical ninja simply stared for a while, than stood and left without a word. His footsteps silently faded down the hallway, and the child took a relieved breath. This wasn't like he thought it would be. He expected immediate training from Orochimaru. Instead, he'd gotten the shit kicked out of him, and placed in this god awful room. His eyes narrowed at the thought, anger boiling. Maybe this had not been the best idea?

_'No.'_ He told himself sternly. If it gave him power, it was worth every waking moment. In fact, he'd do this _every_ day if it made him stronger, though he doubted his current state was making that happen. His sensitive hearing once again picked up feet outside his room, stopping and unlocking his door once more. Again, Kabuto entered, this time holding some clothes.

"Orochimaru wants to talk with you in exactly fifteen minutes. Put these on, and I will escort you to him." He barked and dropped the clothes at his feet. Sasuke snarled before the door shut, making sure the man heard his discomfort. He slowly made his way out of bed, though he'd hardly call it that. It was more like a slab of concrete. The Uchiha picked up the clothes and looked them over. They'd definitely hang loose on him, that was for sure. There also was that hideous, purple bow the Sannin always wore. He really expected him to wear this? After arguing to himself about the clothes, he finally put them on and stepped into his small bathroom. He flinched noticeably. His entire chest was showing.

_'What in the world..'_ He snarled inwardly, ripping furiously at the bandages still wrapped around his torso. He would not be training in these. They were not neaded. He'd heal naturally if he had to. The cloth fell around him and onto the counter, revieling his bloodied and bruised upper body. Sasuke gritted his teeth. How could he had let this happen, without even _training_? A knock on his door pulled him out of his thinking. He shook his head and walked towards it. Kabuto, as he had said, walked him down the corridor. The boy was a bit relieved that the man had led him. He would have surely gotten lost in all these hallways.

"Next time you're punished, I'd advise you to accept my healing." Kabuto told him. Sasuke snorted and crossed his arms, wincing a bit as they dragged across a particularly tender cut.

"I'd advise you to shut the hell up. I don't care for your help, nor do I want any of it." The boy snapped back, making Kabuto turn his head ever so slightly. A soft chuckle passed through his lips, only infuriating Sasuke more. He ordered the man what exactly was so funny.

"You," he replied simply, "You're in for such a shock. I will enjoy healing your mangled body when Orochimaru-sama is finished with you." He hummed, stopping in front of two large doors. He turned to look at the boy. He opened the doors and shoved the Uchiha inside. Sasuke turned and glared at Kabuto before he was, once again, closed into a dark room. He activated his sharingan, which gave him some sort of light. Though, it wasn't much at all. Everything was still hard to see. Except, of course, the two golden eyes a few feet ahead of him.

"Sasuke-kun. I am pleased to see you up and about after such a lesson yesterday. I hope you aren't too badly hurt." The man said sympathetically, appearing before the boy and cupping his face. Sasuke growled and tossed his head away, eyes blazing angrily. The sannin grinned at his reaction. How he would enjoy playing with this one.

"No beating around the bush for Sasuke-kun, hm? Fine. We'll get right to work." A fist drove into the boy's unprepared gut, making him gag and hunch over. His cuts began to reopen and blood stained his white shirt. He tried focusing on the man, but he was fast. Too fast. Another hit to his side sent him crashing into the wall. He caught himself, but another blow to his face sent him to the floor. He got on his hands and knees, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth. This was not going well, and every hit just made Sasuke angrier and angrier. He didn't stand a chance against him, and that thought made him want to beat the living snot out of the sannin even more so then he already did.

"Come now, Sasuke-kun. Is that all you can do?" The snake purred above him, eyes locked onto the child's heaving back. The boy snarled and flipped over, aiming a kick to the man's abdomen, but being grabbed a minute before impact. He was thrown once again into the opposite wall, this time sliding down and hitting the floor with a grunt.

"My dear child, you are so _furious_? You cannot ever fully be taught with such a lack of self control." The boy's wrists were grabbed, yanking his lithe body up and slamming him against the cold wall. He cracked his eyes open, glaring with all the anger he could muster.

"You're **weak**." The man smiled, seeing a glint in the boy's eyes at the comment. He roared and tugged forward, but a punch to his right cheek made him stop. He inhaled shakily and his head back up to eye the man.

"Sasuke, I said you're weak. Too weak. You cannot possibly expect me to teach such a hopeless shinobi." Sasuke once again let out a strangled cry, and was, once more, nailed in the face. He spat up blood, a cough racking through his body. This continued for a while, Orochimaru degrading the boy until he finally reacted, and Sasuke getting hit after every reaction he made. It was agonizing. Sasuke was painfully dropped to the floor, finally. He grasped his face in his hands, small whimpers escaping him. It hurt. It hurt like _hell_. He already knew how he lacked self control. How he bursted into battles blindly. He just never would have dreamed of being broken in such a slow manner. The snake stood in front of him, as usual, licking his lips hungrily.

"So hopelessly weak." He chuckled, now only recieving a strained glare from the boy. Yea, of course he still felt the urge to ground the man's face into the fucking dirt. He knew he still would want to beat the crap out of him every time he saw the man now. Now, he just was cautious. This training would certainly not be like anything he'd ever recieved in Konoha, which was exactly what he had wanted. The boy winced and shut his right eye, that side of his face pulsing madly.

"Go get Kabuto to heal your wounds, then rest. We'll train again tomorrow, and you better have learned something by then." Orochimaru hissed and grabbed him by the arm, throwing him to the floor outside of his room and slamming the stone doors closed. The boy shuddered, finally allowing himself to drop part of his mask. That had been horrible. Orochimaru was nothing like his old sensei. He knew nothing of compassion, or grace. He slowly lifted himself up, seeing Kabuto down the hallway. He smiled and fixed his glasses, motioning Sasuke to follow him. Once healed, he was escorted back to his room, which was still freezing cold. The boy dragged himself to his bed, unknowing and uncaring of what time it was. He was exhausted, and soon darkness took over his vision.

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><p><strong>AN: <strong>Lol? Good? HORRIBLE! Lawl, better be good, you idiots. I would enjoy it if anyone picked up on my spelling mistakes and informed me of them. My computer doesn't correct them for me anymore (Yea, I'm a lazy ass.). Soooo, yes! Reviews are nice, but not BEGGED for.. Alright, yea, they're begged for. Okay? Okay. I'll update the next chapter as soon as I can.~ And I'm sorry it's SO SHORT! I'll start makin' 'em longer, nbd.

_Nat_


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: **Lol. WOAH! OH SNAP, NAT! You're already writin' the second chapter? Damn right, foo'! I need to get in the swing of things again. XD Yep, more cursing in this one, hopefully they all aren't potty mouths this time. :x Oh! I also think I will be adding more things into the story, such as Sasuke's **rescue** and return to Konoha. Lawl! Just informing you guys!

Again, I don't OWN Naruto. I don't understand why I even need to tell you this. It's obvious I have no skill at the manga at all. And, if I happened to, Sasuke would be the UKE.

Now, to continue with the story.~

_Chapter Two_

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><p>The boy tossed his head, sweat pouring down his pale, lean features. His body convulsed almost. Small screams and shouts slipped passed his quivering lips, inaudible to anyone that heard them. But, to Sasuke, they were words. Desperate, pleading words. It was a nightmare, something normal to the boy. He had grown used to them, as they continuously plagued his sleep at night, and haunted him during the day. A wonderful side effect of his brother's repugnant sharingan. The boy finally launched himself up, shaking and fisting his hands in the useless blanket that covered him. His eyes were wide with fear as he stared forward blankly, collecting himself mentally.<p>

"You have nightmares often." A voice sounded next to him. He turned and saw Orochimaru, watching him with a smug look of glee plastered across his sculpted features. Sasuke only glared, too shaken to do much of anything at the time. He dropped his head and hid his face. It was embarrassing for him to know that his teacher had seen him in such a defenseless state. It almost scared him, knowing what the sannin was capable of. The man smiled and licked his lips, reaching out to touch the boy's bruised face. Sasuke jerked away from the touch, rejecting it hastily. The sannin laughed, and Sasuke turned away from him.

"Leave me be." He ordered quietly, wanting to get more rest before training tomorrow morning. Though, he actually had no idea if it was even still night, seeing as to how there was no window in this room. But, he trusted his mental clock, which told him he'd been sleeping for an hour or so. Orochimaru proved his thoughts correct as he stood up and walked out, locking the door behind him. The boy glared at it for a moment or two, then flopped back down on the hard mattress. His back hurt slightly at the uncomfortable positioning of his spine, and he yanked his pillow so that it curved under him. It helped, but it wasn't anything to clap about. He sighed heavily and let his mind begin to wander. That's how he always had gotten himself to sleep. Relaxing his body for once. Thugh, for some reason, tonight his thoughts would not let him sleep. They reminded him of Naruto, Team Seven, and his _home_. It frustrated him to no end. He had trained himself to not think of this before sleeping at night. He knew it would keep him up till the early hours in the morning. He'd successfully find a way to forget about his brother when he was younger. Training to the point of exhaustion, then he simply didn't have the energy to think and he'd pass out the minute his head hit the pillow. He didn't have that choice this time, and it was beginning to drive Sasuke insane. He rolled onto his stomach, hands fisting into his soft, black locks.

_'Just forget about everything...'_ He tried willing the memories away. They were persistent little bastards, though, and did happen to keep him up an hour before he finally fell back into darkness.

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><p>The next morning was horribly slow. Sasuke was exhausted from the night before. He had had yet another nightmare before morning had finally come, making his rest unpleasant and unfulfilling. Kabuto had only snickered at his obvious groggy state, pleasantly reminding him of how hard Orochimaru-sama was planning on training him that day. Even if the man was only trying to get ot him, he was being honest. Today's training would probably be as terrible as yesterday's, and that simple thought gave Sasuke goose-bumps. Oh, how he wished he would be late, like Kakashi had always been. He missed that relaxation period before his day began. He paused to himself, mulling over what exactly he was trying to say as he followed Kabuto silently down the hallway once again. The man noticed his deep thinking, and decided to leave him be. The boy's face was shaded in a lovely assortment of purple and black, he noticed, with dabs of red here and there.<p>

_'Looks like training did go as planned yesterday. He should be thankful he didn't fall unconscious. Usually Lord Orochimaru's first lesson is the worst..'_ He inwardly shivered, remembering his own meeting with the sannin once. It had turned from bad to worse as Kabuto explained how an experiment had gone wrong, and he'd lost a life due to his uncareful behavior. He'd never forget those eyes, digging into him with the blood thirsty intent behind them. A singe bead of sweat rolled down the side of his face and he swallowed the scream growing in his throat. The two arrived at Orochimaru's room, just like the day before, and Sasuke stepped inside. He now knew what to expect of his teacher, so he quickly dropped into a defensive stance and turned his eyes on. His sensei laughed at this, and grabbed Sasuke by the back of the neck, making the boy freeze and tense up noticeably.

"Not today, Sasuke-kun. Today, we will be talking about that curse mark of yours." The snake explained in the boy's ear, gently rubbing the bruises covering his cheek. Sasuke snarled and tried getting away, but the grip did not loosen. In fact, it grew tighter then before. A small gasp escaped him, and he immediately regretted it. The sannin yanked his head to the side, exposing his very prominent curse mark. The boy shook ever so slightly. He remembered the day when Orochimaru had planted that forbidden mark on him. The pain. It had been indescribable. Now, cold fingers trailed over the ugly, black marks, sending shudders through the child. Orochimaru just snickered to himself, lightly sending some of his chakra into the mark. Sasuke jolted and hissed in pain as the mark came alive at its master's bidding. He raised his hands to clutch it painfully, but they were held down by his side.

"Ignore it, Sasuke. Tolerance is a necessity for a ninja, and you seem to have none of it built up quite yet." The boy gritted his teeth in an attempt to forget the pain and simply grow numb, but the pain suddenly dubbled, sending him into a mess of whimpers and grunts. His teacher kept a steady grasp on the back of his neck with an unknown force. The pain from his curse mark dulled that pain, and he wondered if he'd have another set of bruises from that tomorrow. His thinking was interrupted, though, by another rise in the curse mark's activity. _This_ time it was beginning to grow harder to stay quiet. Screams built up in the back of his throat, pounded against his chest for release. They crawled up into his mouth, but instead of letting out an agonized cry, a small gasp erupted into the cold air surrounding them. Orochimaru did not seem pleased with this, and forced the boy to stay still. The pain continued to grow, and the Uchiha's defenses slowly came crumbling down.

"Ignore it, Sasuke-kun." The man repeated, finally activating the mark to it's full potential. The boy lurched, eyes watering at the feeling. The marks expanded towards his heaven seal, easily breaking through it in no time at all. In the dark room, his curse shown brightly, red flames burning and inching across his skin. This was too much. This wasn't training. This was _torture_. The marks made their way towards his face, a point where Sasuke finally let out a small cry and began to struggle. Orochimaru snarled and forced him still, telling him that the pain would make him stronger, give him the power he desired to kill his brother. The words fell on ignoring ears, though. The boy could, surprisingly, not focus on his revenge at the moment. This pain was too much, and his body begged his teacher for mercy, though he'd never say it aloud. The sannin pulled his arms back and forced the boy's face against the stone floor, pain once again doubling. Oh, how that scream had just burst out of him. It had been held in for so long. He didn't care anymore. All his mind could process was that he was, _indeed_, in serious agony, and he wanted out of it right now. And so, he screamed, and screamed, and screamed. He ignored his pride for once and completely broke down.

"_Dammit_, O-Orochimaru!" He choked out, sharingans activating. They had turned off after the man had explained to him that they would not be training today. The snake simply laughed at this.

"You think those eyes can scare me? Force me to stop?" he chuckled to the child, who ground his teeth together in obvious torture, "They won't do anything of the sort. They are nothing like the famous sharingan your dear brother holds." Sasuke snarled at the mention of his dreaded brother, finally ripping an arm loose and punching the man across the face. He turned to the side, then returned to glaring at the boy on the floor. Sasuke simple smiled, pleased that he had finally hit the man. His look of surprise also gave him satisfaction. But, his pleasure soon faded, curse mark returning with a vengeance.

"**AH**-" He choked out. This time, tears did leak out, rolling down his hurt face and staining the floor beneath him. The sannin kept a sharp eye on him as he clawed the floor uselessly, letting out small, cut off screams. The boy just didn't care anymore. He had to get away from this throbbing pain. Surely such a level of agony could _kill _a shinobi in no time. He continued his cries for it to stop, until he finally, and unceremoniously, passed out under Orochimaru's piercing gaze.

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><p>Naruto opened his blue eyes opened, seeing blinding, white lights overhead. He raised an arm to cover his face, seeing that he himself was also white.<p>

_'Bandages..'_ He thought slowly, looking himself over. He was, in fact, covered from head to toe in them. A heavy sigh creeped through his lips, and his throat constricted. He had failed, completely and utterly _failed_. He had promised Sakura to bring Sasuke back, and had _failed_. His hands raised to pull his blond locks, tears pouring forth from his eyes. He sniffled slightly, wishing he had just been stronger, just a little stronger. He could have won, he knew it. It was that damned Orochimaru. He had changed Sasuke, right before his eyes, into some kind of monster. Horrific as it was, Naruto still saw his best friend the entire time. The door opened to his room, and a familiar female trotted in. She gave a forced smile, eyes red and puffy. She had been crying. Naruto lifted himself up, showing his tear streaked face, as if a silent welcome to the girl's past activity. Sakura walked over slowly and sat on the bed, green orbs staying locked on Naruto.

"Naruto... You don't need to cry..." She tried telling him, but her own voice gave out and cracked under the growing emotional toll. She raised a hand wipe her eyes uselessly. The blond shook his head.

"I.. tried so hard. I gave you my word I'd bring him back..." He strained out, shoulders moving with a silent sob. Sakura looked up, pity forming in her gut. He was right. He had promised her the day before leaving that he'd bring Sasuke back to her. Of course, she wouldn't and couldn't hold him to that. Sasuke was now with Orochimaru, a legendary sannin who could kill them in no time flat. The odds piled against them.

"I'm so sorry, Sakura-chan... I'm so sorry." The boy blubbered, biting his lower lip hard and locking in some sobs. Blood dripped from the bite, and Sakura turned away. She didn't want his apologies. He had tried his best, and she was proud of him for that.

"Naruto, it's alright." She tried soothing him, knowing it would do nothing, though. It wasn't alright. Sasuke was gone, and in the grasp of a twisted ninja that wanted to use his body like a new set of clothes. Silence grew between them, Naruto's tears finally ceasing. He continued to look down, though.

"I'm not stopping here," he finally spoke up, making Sakura look at him in bewilderment, "I'm going to get him back. Orochimaru can't have him." He explained, growing louder as he continued. The girl looked wide eyed at him. She knew Naruto was a never-going-to-give-up type of guy, but this? This was scuicide.

"Naruto... You shouldn't spout words that mean nothing, and will become nothing." She said quietly. Surprising as it was, Sakura was beginning to give up. The logical side of her informed her of the danger they would be in if they even drew close to Sasuke. It was impossible, and everyday they waited to get him he would grow stronger, until their power was nothing compared to his own. The thought depressed her greatly, but it was true, and she would not ignore it to simply make herself feel better.

"What are you saying, Sakura-chan! You're just going to _give up_?" The blond commanded, making the female flinch outwardly and drop her gaze. He shook his head and grabbed her arm, strong enough to get her attention without hurting her.

"I'm bringing him back, even if it kills me! And nothing you say or do will change my mind! I know you want to save him, too.. He's our friend, Sakura-chan.." He quieted down, a serious glint entering his blue eyes. Sakura was quiet for a moment, then a few more tears slipped out. She smiled slightly and laughed.

"Thank you.. Naruto."

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><p>Sasuke cried out painfully as Kabuto tightened another stitch. He had ignored giving the Uchiha any pain medication, wanting him to suffer during this entire process. Sasuke sat perched on the cold, medical table, shirt tossed aside without a care. Training had been terrible today, and a number of cuts and gashes covered his usually perfect, pale skin. He let out another soft grunt as Kabuto grabbed his wrist and looked over it.<p>

"He broke it again, Sasuke-kun? Speaking out of turn, _still_?" he quickly set it back in place, recieving an ear shattering cry from the boy, "You learn a bit slow for a so called genius." Sasuke glared and panted, wanting desperately to knock the man's lights out. He knew that would only get him another beating, though. Last time he had disobeyed Kabuto was, to say the least, horrific. Orochimaru had shown him no mercy, and had almost choked him to death the second he entered his room before he even entered into the punishment. A faded hand print still plastered his neck from the experience, but he knew it would fade soon enough.

"Quiet today, aren't we? Usually by now I'd be hearing at least twenty curses from you, along with a few attempts to leave." Kabuto prodded him verbally, wanting to get a rise out of him, which he knew he'd eventually get. This boy was so easy to annoy.

"Just get this _over with_." The child seethed, eyes closing shut tightly as the needle once again began to thread stitches into his arm. Kabuto smiled quietly and began to hum, knowing it was something that bothered Sasuke to no end. He pulled the needle out, drawing blood for the second time, then pierced him again, and again, until the wound was tightly secured. The Uchiha gritted his teeth and clutched the edges of the table. The feeling made his stomach twist uneasily. How the string _pulled_ through his skin. He wanted to vomit onto the clean, sterilized floor. He was used to medical ninjas treating his wounds with chakra, not like this. This was different, and he was not growing fond of it anytime soon.

"Feeling nauseated, Sasuke-kun? You're growing a little pale." The medic laughed and took a step away, getting a clean wrag to wipe the blood off the boy's body. Some sort of finishing touch, Sasuke presumed. Right afterwards he was sent to his room, locked in, as usual. Like all the other times he'd been sent here after training, he crawled into his bed and dozed off, completely and utterly spent from the day's work.

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><p><strong>AN: <strong>Lol, moving sooo slowly. Like a crouching TIGER! Not really, but you get the point. Anyways, once again, spelling mistakes. Tell me of them! Oh! And yea, Naruto, Sakura, and them will begin making their ways into the story more and more. Just be patient, it takes time, darlings! Reviews are enjoyed, and anything else is needed. (:

_Nat_


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: **Lol, hey guuuys! I finally got a review. *swings hips back and forth in a so called 'dance'* I am so happy! Lol. Yea, I run off reviews, as do most people. Yep yep, continuing on. I am beginning to grow attached to this story, even if it just started. I have big hopes and all, as cliche as it sounds. Kinda' sad beginning. At least, it made ME sad. Lololol. Lots of dialogue, too.

I don't own Naruto, nor any of Sasuke-kun's fantastic good uke looks.

_Chapter Three_

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><p><em>Again with the screams, ripping through the thick, blood-scented air that surrounded the blond boy. It was dark, but he could see, strangely. Sasuke stood before him, but it was not him. It was not Sasuke anymore. His now yellow, snake-like eyes stared happily at Naruto, and he held out his hand. His fingers moved slightly, motioning the boy forward. <em>

_"Come, Naruto. Come see how I've changed." He hissed mockingly, making the boy in front of him charge forward. If Sasuke wouldn't fight back, he would. His fists were stopped, and his body was forced back to where he was before. Orochimaru laughed at him, using Sasuke's voice. His body melted into a pile of snakes, which lunged forward to attack Naruto._

The boy jolted up, waking from his restless sleep. This nightmare had been haunting him for the past few months, ever since he'd lost to Sasuke. He would always wake up at the same time, with the same facial expression, and the same, fearful eyes. Cold sweat dripped down his back as he lie back against his pillow. He turned his head towards his nightstand, where a picture of his team and himself sat. The boy raised a tan hand to place his forefinger on Sasuke, as if trying to erase his form from the picture. Yes, the boy had been training like crazy ever since that day in the hospital. He was still bent on getting his best friend back, but the thought always haunted him.

_'What if I'm too late?' _Naruto wondered, picking up the picture frame and setting it in his lap. What if he did happen to make it to Sasuke, only to find out he had already been taken over? No. That could not happen. Kakashi had explained to them that they had at least two years to get Sasuke back. After that, it was almost pointless. It had been three months since Sasuke's departure, so that left them a lot of time to grow stronger. Naruto began to feel the familiar feeling of constriction in his throat and chest, knowing tears were making their way out of his eyes. They fell onto the picture, his hands, and his covers.

"Why did you ever leave?.." The boy whimpered to himself, closing his eyes and beginning to sob.

* * *

><p>"Yes, Sasuke-kun! Yes! Keep focussing." Orochimaru hissed his order, pacing around the boy as he sat on the floor. His eyes were screwed shut, holding a hand seal in front of his chest. Sweat covered his body. He'd been at this for hours, with no end in sight. Apparantly, he was supposed to be aiming to use chidori around his <em>body<em>. He hadn't really understood the man when he had explained it himself, but it sounded powerful, and he was willing to give it a try.

"Your mind is wandering, Sasuke-kun. _Focus_." Orochimaru backhanded him across the face, something he did usually to keep the boy in line when training. It pissed the Uchiha off, but he could not react. The only way to make him stop was to just do as he was told, even if it killed his pride. He took a shallow breath and pulled his head back to face forward, a red mark beginning to form on his left cheek. His teacher smiled, and he continued circling the younger male. This boy was beautiful when he trained. His licked his lips hungrily. He had chosen such a good body. The boy had a feminine look to him, body wise, with lean muscles that rippled under his perfect skin at every movement he made. His voice also made the man go insane. He _needed _this boy. This waiting game was killing him. Sasuke's pained grunt brought the sannin out of his wonderous staring. His lips drew into a grim frown, and he stopped in front of the child.

"Orochimaru... I don't think-"

"That is correct. You _don't _think. You do. Now, hush and keep working." The teacher replied, once again hitting the boy across the face. Sasuke snapped his head back forward, eyes blazing. He had had _enough _of this shit for one day. The child raised himself up, legs shaking slightly, and lifted his fist up in preparation to punch the man. The snake was suddenly behind him, forcing his arm behind him painfully. Sasuke let out a soft whine, feeling it lifted higher.

"You _foolish _boy. How dare you test me again, and so soon," he smashed the boy against the wall, nails digging into his soft skin, "How do you expect me to teach you when you're too _dense _to listen?" The words made the boy shake, verbal poison seeped from his teacher's mouth. He really did know how angry the sannin could get, and how cruel he could be, but his damn ego wouldnt let him obey. It just wouldn't.

"You come here in search of _my _power. _My _training. Yet you do not sumbit to me?" Orochimaru grew softer with his words, confusing Sasuke greatly. Usually by now, he'd be a bloody pulp on the floor, with Kabuto coming in to heal him and Orochimaru spitting harsh, hurtful words at him. This new attitude, it almost scared him. He felt his teacher's cold breath on the back of his ear, and he shuddered crazily. His head turned slightly, eyes wide and scared. Orochimaru took his chance, grasping the boy's neck. Sasuke let his mouth fall open, lungs desperately trying to revive themselves.

His lips formed words weakly, but nothing escaped his mouth. His vision blured slightly at the restriction of oxygen entering his brain. The snake stood before him, towering over the small Uchiha.

"Oh? Trying to beg me for forgiveness, Sasuke-_chan_?" The suffix change made the boy glare heatedly, but he closed his eyes again whe he started feeling faint. The grip let go suddenly, allowing him to take in a deep, well needed breath. He coughed a few times, sharingan pinning his teacher afterwards. He felt powerless, fucking _powerless_, in the sannin's eyes. He was never able to protect himself from the hits, the words, the physical and mental _pain_. It made him feel empty, in some strange way.

"Now then," Sasuke was dropped, falling to his hands and knees before Orochimaru, "Try again. This time, try imagining yourself covered in chidori. Picture it with your mind as vividly as possible, and keep yourself from exerting too much chakra at one time." The boy nodded slowly, sitting back down on the floor. He formed the hand seals, closed his eyes, and thought deeply. He would do it this time, he could feel the tingle of sparks in his veins as, first, his hand lit up. He tried dragging it somewhere other than that, perhaps his chest. The stream began to expand and cover him, making Orochimaru laugh and watch him pleasantly.

"Good, Sasuke-kun. _Very _good." He praised the boy, who let out a shaky gasp as the electricity died down. He fealt drained from the jutsu. His sharingan faded back to ebony, and he dropped his head into his hands. The boy felt a hand on his shoulder, making him look up quickly and send a dizzy spell over himself. He groaned and closed one eye.

"One more time, Sasuke-kun. Show me what you are capable of." Orochimaru told him, eyes wide with excitement. The boy narrowed his own.

"What.. the hell, O-Orochimaru..." he groaned tiredly. Of all people to notice things, Orochimaru was at the top of his list. He must be aware of Sasuke's dangerously low chakra, and either just didn't care, or expected him to be fine with what he had left. The boy shook his head angrily, once again sending the famous Uchiha glare at his sensei. The snake smiled and rubbed the boy's curse mark.

"You have the power to do so, Sasuke-kun. Just rely on my mark.. It will give you enough chakra, and more." The man snickered temptingly. Sasuke twitched. He never did _want _to trust the mark. It simply hurt too much to use all the time. But, if it gave him what he wanted, he would do so without argument. He formed the hand seals again, closing his eyes and focusing with all the strength he could muster. Electricity once again shot out around him, covering his body with its glow. He whimpered slightly, feeling the curse seal react and activate. It sluggishly crawled its way towards the heavens seal once again, breaking past it and continuing on. Its painful seering sensation began to make itself known, forcing Sasuke to grit his teeth and shake. The jutsu weakened for a moment. Orochimaru hissed angrily and slapped the boy again. The child refocused and ignored the throbbing pain, trying to clear his mind. The feeling. It hurt so much. He had to stop this. It wasn't worth it.

"_Guh!_" The boy choked out as he dropped the hand sign and fell forward onto his stomach, body shaking weakly. His vision darkened considerably, and his sensei's voice grew distant. It came back, though, and he suddenly wished it hadn't.

"You stupid welp! I told you to continue! _Up_." He ordered and kicked the boy's side, forcing the boy onto his left shoulder. He panted heavily, body covered his small scratch marks. He guessed they were the aftermath of the electric jutsu. His teacher grabbed his hair and pulled him up, nailing him in the stomach two or three times, before dropping him again. Sasuke curled up slightly, trembling. The sannin left the room with a small grunt of disgust. The room was now silent, except for Sasuke's heavy breathing, of course. His mind felt tired and weak. He began to relax, slowly but surely. He was alone, now. He could afford to drop his guard. Before he could fully fall into darkness, Orochimaru walked back in, eyes gleaming angrily. He heard a small, sinister chuckle escape the man as he approached his trembling form.

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><p>Naruto walked down the crowded streets. The sun was beaming down today, and he had decided to leave his orange jacket at home. He wiped his forehead as he began to feel sweat drip down. He didn't mind it, though. He would soon be at his sensei's apartment, and under the relaxing air conditioning inside. The thought made him smile and he picked up his pace. He took a few turns, climbed a few stairs, and finally arrived at Kakashi's door. He knocked slightly, wondering if his teacher would even be awake at this time. Thankfully, he was, and he welcomed Naruto into his home. The blond nodded his thanks and sat down on the couch, leaning back and taking a breath before speaking.<p>

"Kakashi sensei?" He asked cautiously, voice not as loud as it usually was. The man turned to him, fixing his coffee as he did so. The boy almost looked three years older. He was so collected today. He scratched his head and walked over to his student, sitting down next to him.

"What? Seems like something important is on your mind, today." He answered, curious to what the boy was thinking. This kid never ceased to amaze him, whether it be in training or growing. He knew though, for the most part, that Kyuubi was to be thanked for his training growth. Naruto leaned forward and rested his chin in his right hand, staring at the wall thoughtfully.

"I wanted to ask you something about Sasuke, again." He explained, and drew a sigh from his teacher.

"Again, Naruto? What are you worried about now?" He groaned and also leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees. He turned to look at the blond, who didn't return the friendly gesture. He was silent for a while, body untensing. Kakashi didn't mind the silence. He was a patient man, and he'd wait as long as Naruto needed to.

"I wanted to know why he left." The boy finished quickly, suddenly turning to pin the man with a confused stare. Kakashi, taken back by the question, was quiet for a moment. He had expected another type of question than this. The surprise made his mind draw a blank.

"Well," he began, hands clasping together in thought. Naruto watched him quietly, catching every movement he made. He doubted even Kakashi knew this answer, but the question had been weighing him down for a while now. It hindered his training, his sleeping, his eating. Everything, pretty much. He'd even lost a few pounds since his friend's departure due to his growing disinterest in eating. Kakashi opened his mouth again, but closed it and rubbed his forehead instead.

"Revenge does things to people, Naruto. I thought I explained this to you."

"You did, Kakashi sensei. It's just- I mean-"

"You're still worried about him." Kakashi finished for him, allowing Naruto to drop his head exhaustedly. The lack of sleep was really getting to him, and his stomach growled loudly. His teacher rubbed his back comfortingly.

"I'll make us some breakfast. I have some ramen in the pantry you might enjoy." He smiled under his mask, hoping to see the blond light up like he always did at the mention of his favorite food. But, he didn't. He just sat there, looking at the floor with heavily lidded eyes. A soft nod was all he got. The older male dropped his grin and stood. He walked back into the kitchen and began cooking the food. Naruto was silent the entire time, even when he was eating. He didn't look a Kakashi again until he spoke up once more.

"Do you think he's dead." He whispered, half of him wanting and answer and the other, not. The man shook his head, telling Naruto again how precious his body was to Orochimaru. The sannin would do anything in his power to keep the boy safe, until he used the forbidden jutsu of course. The blond nodded, and they sat on the couch in silence.

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><p><strong>AN: <strong>Lol. ANOTHER SHORT CHAPTER. DX I apologize, slightly. Oh noez! What's Orochimaru doing to Sasuke-kun! Lol, I don't even know yet. :B Inform me of spelling mistakes, please. **Reviews appreciated and noticed**.

_Nat_


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: **Lol, hey ya'll. ;D Sorry it took so long to update! Nothing much to say, 'cept that me and my old friend, _SasukeUchihasGuardian_, finally spoke once more after SUCH a long break. Haha, you probably know her. I like to think of her as famous. *cha chang* Lol, jk. Anyways, I am updating this chapter in dedication of her, and her awesome hot-sauce-sasuke stories. 8D

Lol, I don't own Naruto.

Now, onwards.. To victory. :) Oh, and this chapter is going to be on Sasuke only, no Naruto parts. Lawl, sorry. He'll be in the next chapter. x)

_Chapter Four_

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><p>The days passed by like wind to Sasuke, and soon those days turned into weeks. It was strange to live in a room without light from outside, strange to live without knowing the time of day, strange to live <em>here <em>at all. He found that here he seemed to daydream the most. His mind could wander aimlessly for hours on end in the silence of his room, which didn't always bring good things. It allowed his mind to drag things up that he had buried purposefully, such as his clan's massacre, Itachi, and his old team. A specifically loud blond was the most common in his nightmares. They usually started fine, with him walking along side him pleasantly. Nothing strange. They would reach a waterfall, where things would start to go downhill. Naruto would turn, blood pouring forth from his eyes, nose, and mouth. Sasuke would stop, staring in horror as the boy died before him. It was a horrible scene, and he usually ended up vomiting after experiencing it. Sasuke also found that Orochimaru would sometimes watch him as he slept. Numerous times had he awoken to see the snake sitting beside his bed, a small, smug smile crossing his features as the boy flinched away from him. The simple thought of waking to the sannin even kept him up sometimes. He couldn't place his finger on it, but something about the snake made his blood run cold.

"Bastard snake..." He murmured to himself as he walked towards his bathroom and stared into his mirror. Scars adorned his body, marring his skin. Dried blood was splattered across his face, and he lifted his hand to begin scratching at it. A shower wouldn't hurt, he supposed. Stepping into the tub, the boy flipped the hot water on and stood silently under the spray. It relaxed him, the heat. After spending all day with his twisted sensei he _needed_ something to calm his jumping nerves. He opened his eyes as a knock sounded on his door. Strange. After eating dinner he never saw Orochimaru or Kabuto until the next morning, when the cycle would start all over again. He decided to ignore it. If it was important, they'd just walk in. Sasuke's privacy had never been respected anyways. As he thought, the door opened. Footsteps made their way towards the bathroom, making Sasuke pause a moment.

"Sasuke, get out of the shower. Orochimaru-sama has to speak with you." The Uchiha heard Kabuto's voice. He growled and slammed his fist into the wall.

"Tell Orochimaru he can wait a few minutes." He hissed in return. Kabuto laughed and exited his room. Sasuke flinched as he realized what he had just said, quickly washing himself off and hurrying out of the shower. He dried himself off halfway, slipped his uniform on, and left his room. Orochimaru was going to kill him if Kabuto sent his message. The child looked down the dark hallway, dreading his future. Those worries faded into a new thought. He had no idea how to navigate through these corridors, even after spending a handful of months here. Sasuke took a breath and tried remembering the way to his sensei's room. He turned and started down the hallway, praying to make it in time, or make it at all. Only once had he been allowed to see Orochimaru's domain. It had been fairly bright, with scrolls and books neatly arranged on almost every wall. A strange sight to see, he had thought to himself.

A few minutes passed, coupled with a few turns, until he appeared at the long, narrow tunnel. This was it. His mind had not failed him this time. He took in a sigh of relief and took a few quick strides towards the doors at the end. They were old looking, and the knobs squeeked _horribly_. Sasuke presumed that maybe they were like that on purpose. No one could possibly sneak in here without the sannin knowing. He grabbed hold of it, turned it, and opened the door. He peered inside, feeling his teacher's familiar, dark chakra. He took in a breath, then exhaled silently and stepped inside. To Sasuke's suprise, the room was empty. His black orbs roamed over the empty space before him. Nothing. The place seemed to have been abandoned many years ago. This perplexed him, since he had _just _seen this room for the first time no more than two weeks ago, and Orochimaru had _definitely _been waiting inside. The Uchiha's sharingans turned on and also scanned the room. Still not a sign of life. Maybe, his memory had confused him? No. The hallway outside was a dead giveaway. Snake and torches had lined the walls all the up to the old door. This either was the snake's room, or Kabuto's. Sasuke shuddered. If this was the medic's room, then Kabuto had no doubt already informed his teacher of what he had said. The boy cursed under his breath and dropped his head. Any moment now he'd feel those cold hands around his neck, cutting off his air supply and making his knees tremble.

But nothing came. Cold hands did not wrap around his throat. He still breathed easily, and his knees stayed still. Had Kabuto not told him? No, Kabuto would do something like that. He was, after all, the snake's damn lap dog. The boy's eyes narrowed. A trap, perhaps. Then why hadn't it sprung? Questions formed one after the other and distracted him from the cold pressence closing in behind him. Sasuke suddenly shivered unconsciously, then froze in place.

"Sasuke-kun? What would you possibly need from my room?" The voice was laced with anger, along with almost flauntingly obvious amusement. Sasuke slowly turned his head, red eyes fading to ebony. The man's golden ones shot daggers at him and made his body stiffen. The man chuckled deep in his throat and reached out to turn the boy around. He braced himself, prepared for almost anything. Anything except the man gently caressing his face. Sasuke flinched away from the soft touch, surprised and fearful. Orochimaru laughed once again.

"How could I punish a child's curiousity, Sasuke-kun." It was not a question. A statement, in fact, one that made Sasuke's insides burn. A _child_? The boy's eyes grew narrow, and he smacked the hand off and away from his cheek.

"I am _not _a child, nor am I curious about _you_." He spat. Orochimaru's smile did not leave. In fact, it grew wider. He laughed once more.

"Such a childish," he put emphasis on that word, which made Sasuke almost livid, "thing to say, my boy. You hardly reach my neck." The Uchiha flushed a tad, seeing that this statement was quite true. His height had become a nuisance for the male. He wasn't even tall enough to reach Kabuto's shoulders. Sasuke turned his gaze downwards, hiding his embarrassment. Something else the sannin could taunt him about. The snake noticed he had won, and licked his lips.

"And if you are not curious, then why are you overlooking my room with such interest?" He continued. Oh, he was not going to let this go. He presumed the boy had gone searching for Kabuto, but, for the sake of the boy's punishment, he would say otherwise.

"Seeking out your teacher this late at night. Were you, perhaps, seeking something?" Sasuke shot a glare at the man, blushing a bit deeper.

"No." He replied furiously and fisted his hands. This was certianly not going as planned, and Orochimaru was making sure of that. The man snickered at his quick and embarrassed answer, but decided to go further. He complimented the boy's tinted face and slammed his hand onto the doorframe, as if blocking any exit. Sasuke took a step back from his sensei, shaking. What was he planning to do? The sannin shoved the boy into the middle of the room and followed, slamming the door behind him. His face became serious. He was through playing.

"If you took the time to come to my room, then I'll _happily _show it to you." He snarled and grabbed the boy by the hair, dragging him over the the book shelf and slamming his face against the wall. Sasuke's eyes were wide, sweat dripping down his face. He could hardly make out what his teacher was doing, which made the hits even more painful. Suddenly, the blows stopped. The Uchiha panted, wiping some blood from his busted, upper lip.

"As you might have noticed, Sasuke-kun," a book slammed against his throat, "I like to collect books." The pressure became unbearable, and a small, strangled gasp past through his bloody lips. The second it came, it was gone. Sasuke took in a lungful of air, but choked as the book was replaced with a kunai. A specifically sharp kunai.

"I also like weapons. The sharper, the better." The sannin hissed in his student's ear, prodding the boy's skin with the object. He recieved a small squeek from the Uchiha, making his lips twitch into a small, pleased grin. He finally dragged the kunai over the boy's chest, drawing a heavy grunt from Sasuke. The younger male hunched and grasped his wound, falling to his knees. The man dropped the weapon onto his nightstand and turned back to the whimpering child. He walked back over and grabbed the back of his shirt, dragging him out of his room and throwing him into the hallway.

"If I ever catch you in my room again, I will _kill _you." The door slammed shut and Sasuke let out a scared whine. Blood was dripping to the stone floor, smeering as he brought himself to his feet. The gash was an inch or two deep, and it stung like hell. He began to hastily walk away from the snake's domain, stumbling a few times over his own feet. Once the boy turned the corner he leaned against the wall and steadied himself. That had been simply _terrifying_. He never wanted to see Orochimaru that angry ever again. The blood lust he radiated had simply stopped his reflexes. The man was obviously a master at what he did. The boy was still shaking, he noticed. Sasuke pushed away from the wall and headed back to his room, where he knew he had some bandages. He really didn't feel like asking Kabuto to heal him at the moment. That bastard was the one who had most likely caused his teacher's rage. The Uchiha fumbled to open his door, and, once inside, dropped to his knees in front of the bedside table. He opened the middle drawer and pulled out the bandages. Sasuke wrapped them around his chest tightly, placing a hand over his wound for a moment and wincing. It was beginning to sting even more so than before. The boy also noticed his vision was blurring. He raised his hands in front of his face and stared hard at them. They were fuzzy, but he could see that they were quivering. Before he could ask himself why, he fell unconscious.

* * *

><p>Cold. It was cold, his mind registered. The child tried moving his body into a more comfortable position, but he found he could not. Panic crossed his features and he opened his eyes weakly. Murky shadows hovered above him, and he fought against whatever was holding his arms in place. Tossing and turning madly, he let out a small noise as he felt himself falling. With a thump, his back hit the hard floor of his room. Sasuke coughed as the air was forcefully knocked out of him, and he struggled himself free of his blanket. Apparantly, he had gotten tangled up in it as he slept. He blinked as he heard a soft snicker, rising to his feet and swaying. The child fell back down onto his rear, one hand lifting to rub his forehead. Kabuto finished chuckling at the boy and leaned back in his chair. The Uchiha opened his left eye slowly.<p>

"Kab-buto.." He tried speaking, but his chest and throat felt painfully tight. The man watched him tauntingly, not offering to help him in any way.

"The knife Orochimaru-sama cut you with was poisoned. I advise you to take it easy. You can't train today, so don't even think of leaving this room unless it is to eat." The silver haired ninja ordered Sasuke, crossing his legs and sending another annoying smirk the boy's way. Sasuke gritted his teeth and struggled to stand once again. Of course, another dizzy spell came over him, and this time he fell onto his back. His hands crossed over his chest in a pained manner, face twisting. The older man simply looked elsewhere. He had told the boy what had happened. That was what Orochimaru-sama had asked of him to do. And to heal the bleading wound on Sasuke's chest, of course. Kabuto smiled inwardly and messed with his glasses. He had certainly healed the boy, just not completely. Sasuke let out an angry snort, forcing himself into a sitting position.

"I-If you're done talking.. then l-leave." He snarled at Kabuto, who shook his head.

"I am staying here to keep your fever down. Also, how do you expect to do anything in your condition?" The words hit Sasuke after a moment, and he glared tiredly. He opened his mouth to complain further, but a wave of nausea hit him and he vomited onto the floor. The Uchiha shook afterwards and panted. He didn't have much to throw up at the time, so it was more forceful then usual. He gagged again, coughing and only choking up some spit. Kabuto sighed in obvious annoyance.

"Now look at the mess you've made..." He groaned and stood from his perch. The man hauled the limp boy across the hallway into the next room, setting him quite roughly onto the bed. Sasuke fell onto his side, head hitting the pillow with a soft sigh. He blinked slowly, mind becoming a mess of confusion. He spotted Kabuto's outline and clawed the mattress. The man turned to him with an annoyed expression.

"W-Where?" The boy moaned out. His face was half hidden in the pillow.

"Stop talking. The poison is still in your blood stream." Kabuto snapped. He certianly did not want to spend the next few hours listening to the boy babble unintelligent nonsense. Sasuke shook his head quickly, squinting his eyes and gritting his teeth.

"No!" He cried out and kicked the air around him. His mind was too clouded to register his actions, and the medic knew it. He grabbed the boy's right ankle as a kick came dangerously close to his hip. He shoved it back with more strength then necessary, making the boy roll and hit the wall the bed was pushed up against. He turned and eyed the medic with lidded eyes. The next moment he turned onto his back and covered his eyes with his arms, beginning to nod off.

The day continued on with a dreadfully languid manner. Sasuke awoke many times, coughing up blood onto Kabuto, maybe slurring some sentences out, then passing out again. Kabuto finally sighed as night came. The effects surely had warn off now, since Sasuke had stayed asleep for an hour and a half. He rose from his seat and stalked out to report to Orochimaru concerning Sasuke's condition.

* * *

><p>A few more days came and went. Sasuke sat at a long table, eating in silence with Kabuto and Orochimaru. Of course, the snake was not eating. The boy had actually never seen the man eat before, and wondered if he'd used some special jutsu to eliminate the feeling of hunger and the need for food. He eyed the man for one second and noticed his teacher was watching him. Glaring, more like it.<p>

"Sasuke-kun," he started, making the Uchiha turn his head towards him, "I have gotten word of some disturbing news." This sentence got Sasuke's undevided attention. Maybe a ninja had been spotted and he would be the one to take them out? That had happened a month ago, and the experience had been quite amusing. Though, that was the only time he'd left the base since he had arrived eight months ago. Orochimaru noticed the boy's interest and licked his lips. The boy tensed at the sight.

"You remember young Naruto-kun, correct?" Sasuke looked down immediately, fork scraping his plate terribly. Kabuto winced at the noise and glared at the young boy. Orochimaru laughed under his breath, pleased at this reaction.

"I take your silence as a yes. I have heard that he has gathered a small team back in Konoha. They plan to come and get you. He wants you back very badly, Sasuke-kun..." The sannin trailed off, watching for a facial expression or body movement. Sasuke slammed his fist onto the table and growled. That _idiot _was still chasing him? Even after he had kicked his ass?

"Where did you hear that." The Uchiha snarled and raised his head to glare at Orochimaru. The snake shrugged and chuckled, but did not answer his question. The boy scooted back from the table and stomped off towards his room, anger boiling over.

_'Dammit, Naruto.. Just let me go.'_

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><p><strong>AN: <strong>Awesommmee!~ 'Nother chapter up and done. Haha, as usual, tell me my spelling mistakes! D: It's so embarrassing to read over your fanfiction and see like, TWENTY errors. XD LOLOLOL. Anyways, **reviews are loved and noticed**!

_Nat_


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: **Hey again! Just finished watching some parts of Spirited Away! And now I feel all fluttery and stuff. Lololol, I'm so childish... ANYWAYS, yea, next chapters gonna' start getting gewd!~

Once and for ALL, I don't fucking own Naruto.

Bwahaha.

_Chapter Five_

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><p>Training became even more important after the news had reached Orochimaru's ears. Sasuke woke up early, skipped lunch, and left the training grounds later. By the time he went back to his room his legs were giving out. Sasuke had learned many new things. His sharingan was now faster, and caught even more detail then before. His taijutsu had grown rapidly with the help of his new sensei, and so had his skill with his new katana. The sannin had given it to him as a gift on his last birthday, which was hardly celebrated at all other than that random act of kindness. The Uchiha had admired the weapon with wide, astonished eyes. His teacher was <em>the <em>Orochimaru, and he was giving him this sacred weapon out of his own collection? Of course, he was going to be giving his body over. This seemed like a suitable treasure in return for that.

The day had finally come. In his last session with the snake, Sasuke was told he would be learning summoning jutsus soon. Now, he stood outside his door, prepared and anxious for what was to come. He had never summoned anything before. Naruto had summoned before him, a large toad of some sort, and that made him even more pushed to try. The boy cleared his thoughts of the blond, following Kabuto to the familiar training grounds. They had moved outside, since space was beginning to become an issue between the two. Orochimaru stood in the clearing, a smile on his lips. He fingered the Uchiha over, and Sasuke did so.

"Now, Sasuke-kun. Did you remember to rest thoroughly last night?" He hissed. Sasuke glared at the sannin. He never forgot anything, and the older male new that. The snake chuckled at his silence and pulled out a scroll.

"Draw blood from your finger, and sign your name. Then we will begin." The scroll was tossed at his feet, and Sasuke leaned down to pick it up. He slowly peeled it open with curious eyes opened wide. Orochimaru's name, along with Anko's, was written inside. The boy bit his forefinger and did as he was told, closing it back up and giving it back. The man smiled at him for a minute or two. He did this occasionally, testing Sasuke's patience. The boy always seemed to fail, though. This time was no different.

"Get on with it, Orochimaru." Sasuke snarled. He _detested _waiting on the man. Orochimaru simply laughed at his words.

"I am sorry, Sasuke-kun, but this part of your growth will take lots of patience. You might as well practice it now." The words hit a nerve, and the Uchiha balled his hands into fists. That idea did not please him in the slightest. Orochimaru was a quick teacher, usually. Jutsus that would have taken Kakashi hours to explain took his new sensei a matter of minutes. He kept things simple, and did not add anything that was not needed. He simply got to the point, and maybe performed it once for Sasuke to see. That was it. The snake did not repeat himself, either. The boy remembered asking for another example. How angry the sannin had become. That had gotten him a few good punches. He listened _extra _carefully now. The man, as he expected, quickly showed him the handsigns of the summoning, drew some blood, and slammed his hand down on the ground. A three foot long snake appeared in a cloud of smoke, arching its head back in the familiar 's' position. Sasuke simply stared silently, interested in its' odd coloring.

"This, Sasuke-kun, is Yun. This will be the snake you aim to summon today." Sasuke cocked an eyebrow at this. This reptile was _puny_ in comparison to Naruto's summoning. He nodded his head once, then began slowly making the signs. Orochimaru watched quietly. He knew what Sasuke was thinking, and waited to see the shocked and angry expression cross his face. He bit his hand and, just as his sensei had done a minute before, pounded his palm against the dirt and watched as a seal spread out from his touch. A small puff of smoke erupted in the center, and within it a pathetically tiny, wriggling worm. He flushed at the sight and growled as Orochimaru laughed. His pride felt like a popped balloon, and he pinched the small animal between his fingers. It hissed and flicked its' tongue in his direction, green eyes glaring furiously.

_ "Put me DOWN you oversized bitch!"_ The snake bellowed in a small voice, and Sasuke pinched it tighter. It let out a squeeky hiss and vanished. The Uchiha looked up at his sensei, livid at how amused the man was by his failure.

"What is so funny..." He snarled and rose to his feet, still about two and a half heads shorter then the sannin. He simply rubbed the boy's cheek tauntingly. The boy didn't pull away, used to the agonizingly annoying touch.

"You cannot expect so much on your first try, my boy. You will need practice before you even reach a snake as long as your arm, and even then they will not respect you, which leads me to the second part of your training." Sasuke glared silently, seething inside, though. This man always managed to push every single one of his buttons, then make him sit still and listen to him taunt and pester him even more.

"To control these snakes without fail, Sasuke-kun, you must show them you are boss. If they even smell the tiniest hint of submission, or fear, they will not hesitate to bite you. Some may even see you as a snack. Be careful, child." Orochimaru walked past the boy to stand a few feet behind him. He was certainly not going to miss his beautiful student making a fool of himself and his skills. Sasuke sent him a harsh look, then performed the jutsu again. And again. Then again. All of them failed, and the Uchiha had only managed to call forth infant snakes. He finally fell to his knees, chakra drained almost. The boy panted heavily and wiped some sweat from his forehead. Orochimaru stalked up behind him and laid a hand on his shoulder. Sasuke flinched and opened his eyes wide, curse mark reacting to its master's touch.

"Unleash it, Sasuke-kun... That _delicious_ power that I have implanted into you. You bear my mark, child. Use it." The Uchiha screeched as the marks began to spread, overcoming his willpower and tainting his chakra. His vision blured and he fell face first into the grass. His fingers fisted in the green blades, tears burning his eyes. Orochimaru smiled at him and rubbed his back.

"Just let it go, Sasuke-kun. It'll only hurt for a while longer." He chuckled slowly, hearing another agonized cry escape his student. The marks now almost completely covered him, and scorching pain was erupting from his seal. The boy whined loudly, arching his back higher, unconsciously pushing up into the sannin's touch. The snake smiled and licked his lips. Sasuke finally lifted his head up, mouth agape and eyes activating with the surge of evil power. He had only allowed the curse mark to take over once, and the side effects had been sickening. He sometimes had nightmares of it getting loose again, now it was really happening, and it was just as bad as he had remembered. He gritted his teeth and ripped up the grass he held tightly onto, clawing at the dirt madly.

_'No! Please!'_ The child cried out as a final horrific wave of pain washed over him and the marks finished covering him. He let out a relieved gasp, collapsing into the grass and closing his eyes as it dulled slowly. Orochimaru brushed his black bangs out of his face. The boy didn't react, exhausted from the pain. Yet, he could already feel the energy returning to him. He opened his eyes to see his teacher already up, arms crossed.

"Continue. The curse has given you enough power to start up again. Now, _up_." He ordered, walking back to his position a few feet away. Sasuke stood shakily, taking a breath and summoning another snake. This time he had to take a few steps back, explosion much larger than before. Orochimaru's eyes widened excitedly. _Yes_, he was advancing. So soon, too.

_'And WHO the hell are you, little boy? Another slave to Orochimaru, I presume.'_ The snake hissed at Sasuke, red scales glistening in the sun. Sasuke glared at it with his sharingan spinning. The snake looked at him curiously, about a head higher than the child.

"Control him, Sasuke-kun! Show it you are in command." The Uchiha's teacher explained excitedly, licking his lips at the sight of the boy taking a few steps forward towards the reptile. He held his hand up in front of its' head, making the snake open its' jaws and show its' fangs warningly.

"I'm your new master." Sasuke said to the creature, making it toss its' head back and laugh at the child.

_'As if a puny human like you could handle me. Go back to being Orochimaru's play toy, brat.'_ Sasuke's eyes narrowed dangerously. He socked it in the nose, gritting his teeth. The snake flinched and lunged at the boy, who dodged easily. All that speed training was starting to pay off. The animal attacked again, then proceeded to try and coil around his leg. Sasuke pulled out his katana and cut its tail off, not hurting it enough to make it vanish, but enough to make it pause in surprise. He smirked as it unwrapped itself, lifting up once more and flicking its' purple tongue out.

_'Ignorant boy! I do not see what Orochimaru sees does in you. I see a snack, ready to be gobbled up here in a moment!'_ The Uchiha took a step back and prepared himself, katana raised. His sensei still watched with amused, yellow orbs. This was going perfectly. The snake lunged for the fifth time, but became a puff of smoke as Sasuke's blade pierced clean into its' mouth and through the back of its' head. Orochimaru paused at this and let out a hiss. The smile left his face, replaced with apparent annoyance. The boy had just killed one of his best trackers. He stepped towards Sasuke, eyes gleaming with rage.

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><p>Naruto stood before the Hokage, fisting his hands over and over. Tsunade read over a few papers slowly, manicured nails tapping her desk.<p>

"You're serious about this, Naruto? You actually followed my rules and read over these?" The blond nodded quickly, hands behind his back respectively. His stomach felt like bugs were crawling around inside it. She was considering sending Naruto on a different mission outside of their territory. Of course, all Naruto was thinking of was finding Sasuke and dragging his ass back to the village. Sadly, Tsunade had rejected his idea. She said she was not going to send him and other good ninja to their death.

"So, this mission _will_ bring you to where we think Sasuke is. This will not change anything, and you will not go looking for him. Kakashi will be sent as well to keep you in check. Don't even think about it, or you'll be sent straight back here. Understood?" Naruto tensed and felt his heart stop for a moment. He was going to be near Sasuke. His best friend. He nodded unconsciously, knowing the woman was still waiting for his answer. The Hokage sighed and stood up, walking around Naruto and towards the door.

"I know you want him back, Naruto..." She whispered to him, then excused him from the room. The boy followed her out and watched her walk down the hallway. He waited for a while, thinking over what this mission would bring. Certianly Tsunade must have been losing her mind. Of _course _he was going to get off track, and Kakashi sensei was not going to get in his way of saving Sasuke.

_'Not a chance! Hang in there, Sasuke. I'm coming!' _The blond smiled and began his walk back home.

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><p>Kabuto wiped the blood from Sasuke's chest and face, sometimes making the child flinch in pain. Anytime that happened, he would smile cruelly and eye him tauntingly. Nothing would make him stop, he was ordered to heal the child. Sasuke panted heavily, left eye swollen and bruised. His sensei had not taken him killing his tracker snake well.<p>

_'Why did you have to stab it...' _He slapped himself inwardly and closed his aching eyes. Kabuto looked over his black eye roughly, making the Uchiha whimper and growl.

"You know, if you'd just obey Orochimaru-sama for once you wouldn't get half as beaten up as you do now." The medic chuckled and brought an ice cube up to the eye, rubbing it against it and trying to calm the swelling. Sasuke shivered at the touch and let his bangs cover his face. He knew the older man was right, but he was not going to become the sannin's little slave. He was nothing of the sort. Yes, he _was _eventually going to become the man's new body, but he was already planning a way to not let that happen. Somehow he would overcome the snake and kill him before that came. At the rate he was growing, and the speed Orochimaru's 'illness' was spreading, that would be no trouble at all. The man was getting weaker and weaker everyday. Yet, even with that effecting him, he still outmatched Sasuke easily. He winced once more as Kabuto switched the ice cube out for a new one and began pressing again. He suddenly remembered Orochimaru's news. That Naruto was coming for him with a team. The boy gritted his teeth angrily. He could not let that happen. He was becoming so strong. So he decided, after flinching and groaning a few more times as Kabuto continued, that _if _Naruto came he would _kill _him. A smug smile crossed his face at the thought, and he was dismissed to his room.

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><p><strong>AN: <strong>Soooo yea, lol. Sasuke is so mean to Naru-kun! DX Yes, you know the drill. Inform me of mistakes. **Reviews are adored! **

_Nat_


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: **Lol, yea, you're all having to wait longer for these. HAHA. In your faces. Sorry about that.~ I am happy to see I am getting reviews, even the one in spanish.. 8D LOL.

I DON'T OWN NARUTO, please get off my back.

So here we go. :O

_Chapter Six_

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><p>Sasuke continued to train with summoning jutsus, taking extra steps to make sure he didn't end up killing another one of his sensei's precious pets. The reptiles were annoying, little bastards, though, and he did want to kill a few of them badly. Yun, the snake Orochimaru had showed to him on the first day of summoning, was a particularly hard snake. Sasuke had called him forth about four times, all of them ending up with Yun either cutting the circulation off to his limbs or placing a good bite somewhere on his body. He <em>despised <em>Yun. The snakes were beginning to become larger as he grew used to the jutsu. One had been seven feet long, with saphire scales covering her body. She had been fairly compliant with Sasuke's offer, and ended up deciding to obey him. Orochimaru had applauded him thouroughly on his advancement, promising to train Sasuke with his katana soon. A reasonable treat for the boy.

Now that it had been a few days, Sasuke was getting antsy, and his teacher began to notice. They were eating dinner, as usual. No conversation going between them. Sasuke sometimes wondered why his sensei preferred him to eat with them. Another strange thing the man did. Then again, he also watched him sleep. This shouldn't be a surprise.

"Orochimaru, when do you plan to train me with the katana?.. It's been a while, and I'm still waiting." The boy hissed under his breath, eyes rolling to glare at the snake. The man stared at him for a while, obviously making the boy wait for his answer.

"Be patient, Sasuke-kun." He chuckled once Sasuke's hands began to fist with frustration. This answer didn't make it much better. The Uchiha slammed his hand down on the table, sharingan activating.

"I've mastered summoning enough. I need to train with my katana, Orochimaru." He seethed furiously. Yes. He knew he was being pushy. He knew he was being a demanding brat. He didn't give a damn at the moment. This man was holding him back, exactly why he'd run away from Konoha. Orochimaru grew still, yellow eyes glued to his student. Kabuto stopped eating, feeling the blood lust radiating from his lord. A part of him almost pittied Sasuke, knowing the boy was really rubbing the sannin the _wrong_ way, and knew that if he continued he was going to regret it. He used to be the same, stubborn and difficult with a mind of his own. Orochimaru had taught him not to, the hard way. Yes, this boy had it coming. Sasuke stood up from the table and looked down at his teacher's serious face.

"I refuse to train with you until we train with my katana." He ordered and narrowed his eyes more. He would probably regret this later, but his fucking ego had returned a few days ago with a vengeance.

"Oh?... I don't remember allowing you to make that decision," the snake chuckled and appeared behind Sasuke, "Kabuto-kun, please excuse us. I'm going to go put Sasuke-_chan_ back in his place.." The Uchiha refused to make a sound as he was dragged down the corridor. The new suffix added to his name had pricked delicate nerve in him, making him a bit more pissed off. Orochimaru grasped his left arm with a death hold, bones threatening to crack. The child only winced, holding his tongue.

"I'm growing tired of your disobedience, boy. Just because I plan on taking your body doesn't mean I can't change my mind. Or I can just take you now, and finish your training myself..." The snake stopped, smiling cunningly. That was it for Sasuke. He gently pulled at the hold, nervous. The snake turned to him with excited eyes.

"Oh? I love it when my prey is feisty... Struggle _more_!" That inhuman tongue slithered out, dancing in front of the Uchiha's face. Sasuke twitched visibly. He hated his sensei's tongue. It disgusted him. Ororchimaru laughed at this, throwing the boy into a cell and following him inside. The child caught himself and turned to face his teacher, legs shaking. He felt his neck grabbed and his body tugged towards the man. Metal clasped around his left wrist and he let out a quick gasp. Then his face was pushed against the wall, shirt being ripped down. He trembled. What was going on? Orochimaru chuckled darkly in his ear, licking it afterwards.

"Just how many times have you disobeyed me, Sasuke-kun?... I have a good guess." Sasuke choked as he felt his teacher's nails dig into his back and rip down, slicing him open painfully. He shut his eyes at the searing pain. Again his teacher tore his back open, licking his fingers off then repeating his previous action. It went on for _hours _it felt like. Sasuke screamed only once the entire time, though it took most of his willpower to swallow down the other shouts that had crawled up his throat. Orochimaru finally turned him back around and slamming his abused skin into the wall. The child hissed in pain and arched away from the stone. His sensei pushed on his chest, rubbing him against the wall.

"_You _came to _me _for power. Not the other way around. You disobey me again, and I will twist your arms behind your head." With that he threw Sasuke to the floor, along with his tattered, bloodied shirt, and stormed out of the room. The Uchiha winced in agony. Surely his ego would take it easy on him from now on. His back felt like it was on fire, blood dripping down his sides and pooling under him. He pounded the floor with an enraged roar. The man still had so much control over him, yet he was ill. The very thought made the boy twitch angrily. He had come so far in the past months, and yet still was in no shape to face the sannin. At this rate he'd lose his body for sure. That is, if Naruto didn't drag him back to the village like he said he would. The Uchiha sat on his shins, looking down at the floor as his pain began to shrink into a dull throbbing. What _if _Naruto happened to take him back? No, impossible. That dumbass surely couldn't defeat him. Sasuke had kicked his ass last time, and he'd probably do it again this time. He looked up at the door Orochimaru had walked out through. If he had grown, maybe Naruto had too. Maybe the boy would show up and actually beat the snot out of him. Sasuke shook his head to clear his thoughts. All this talk about Naruto was driving him crazy. Of course the boy would fail. He always did. The child's mind drifted back to the subject of his body, and Orochimaru.

He doubted that the sannin would respect his desire to murder Itachi _or _revive his clan. Even if he did, Sasuke wanted to be the one to throw the final hit on his damn brother, and be the one to watch his eyes grow dull and lifeless. With Orochimaru in control, that would never happen. His options seemed limited. Sasuke sighed deeply and pulled himself to his feet. He thought it best if he allowed Kabuto to heal his back before making any big decisions.

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><p>The blond boy rummaged through his closet, picking out his black shirt and slipping it over his head. Today was the day. The day they set out. He smiled and threw some of his old pants on and ran out the door, not even remembering his ramen in the microwave. The boy ran through the people, heart pounded hard in his chest. He remembered who to round up before going to meet Tsunade. The male haulted as he reached his sensei's apartment complex. Kakashi had said he'd be outside, but the man was not. Naruto looked around in confusion, then dropped his head. Of course he would be late. A tap on his shoulder brought his head back up.<p>

"What took you so long?" Kakashi asked jokingly, smiling under his mask. The blond made a fist at him and the two continued on towads Sakura's house. They picked her up and finally headed to the Hokage tower. Tsunade was at her desk when they arrived, of course. She looked serious, almost angry. Kakashi knew what she was worried about. He himself also thought about it, and how careless she was being. Sending his blond student out on a mission at this time was idiotic, if not downright ignorant. He also knew it'd take a _lot _of strength and time to force the boy to remain in sight. Naruto woud certainly try to sneak off in attempt to rescue the Uchiha, which would definitely get old after the third time. Tsunade's voice brought him out of his thinking.

"Are you ready to set out? All three of you?" The three ninja nodded obediantly in response. The female began to explain the mission, how they were to carry a message to the Mizukage and return with word from them. She also explained to Naruto, in particular, that this mission would bring them around where they thought Sasuke might be. She warned him to stay out of that and keep himself focussed on the task at hand. Tsunade also ordered to Kakashi to keep him in sight at all times. The three bowed as they were excused, and set off. The walk was quiet at first, none of them speaking. Sakura had become very quiet after Sasuke's departure. Neither Kakashi nor Naruto had gotten many words out of her. Kakashi presumed she had taken the Uchiha's leave personally, and thought it best if Naruto and him kept their mouths shut. Of course, Naruto was not as bright as his sensei. As the three walked down the road exiting the village, the blond leaned forward in an attempt to see her face.

"Hey, uh, Sakura-chan?" The female turned to him with an emotionless face, but her eyes answered him with a curious glint. He straightened himself up.

"Uh... How have you been doing? I haven't seen you in a while." Naruto smiled and placed his hands behind his head. Sakura looked forward again, but grinned thankfully. It took a moment or two for her reply to come, but it did.

"I have been training under Lady Tsunade. I thought I told you that when you got out of the hospital, you dummy." She giggled at him, making her sensei sigh with relief inwardly. It was nice to see her smiling again. Naruto blinked and pouted. He did, in fact, remember her telling him that. He shrugged it off and returned to looking down the road. A few minutes of silence passed between them. It was strange, having all three of them on a mission again. Without Sasuke, though, it just seemed depressing in a way. The blond finally grew tired of the tension, and turned to look at Kakashi with a serious eyes.

"So, Kakashi sensei. Do you think we'll be seeing Sasuke on this mission?" He grinned wide as the grey haired man gave him a tired look.

"You're really going to start that now? Can't you wait until we go a bit farther?"

"Huh? What do ya' mean 'start that now'? Aren't you excited at all that we will be getting closer to him? It's almost like you don't want us to go after him..." At this, the man put his book down. The two children tensed as he grew silent.

"That's not it at all, Naruto. I want to get Sasuke back just as much as you do," he murmured to them, "If it was up to me.. I'd see what I could do to get him back during this mission as well-"

"Then come on! You're the sensei! What that old bag doesn't know won't hurt her." Naruto complained loudly, making some dramatic hand motions to go along with his begging. Sakura stayed quiet. She also had been thinking of going off during this trip, though never thinking she'd actually bring back her friend. Even with all the training she had gone through, Orochimaru was a force hardly anyone could stand up against.

"Hokage-sama has given me specific orders _not _to do so. I cannot break those orders."

"Kakashi sensei," Sakura began, "Weren't you the one who told us that those who abandon their comrades are worst then scum? Isn't this a similar situation?" The three grew quiet, especially Kakashi. The girl had gotten him. Hit the nail straight on the head, and hammered it home. He sighed heavily and turned to grin at his only female student. She was absolutely right. His heart rejoiced at the thought of getting Sasuke back. He'd missed the boy deeply. But, he also knew what Tsunade would do if they ended up failing. If they risked it all to get Sasuke back, only to be beaten down by Orochimaru. The woman would never forgive him, maybe even strip him of his position as jounin. The thought made him almost groan with annoyance.

"I was, Sakura. And I ment every word of it.." He didn't know how to explain himself. How _do _you explain yourself of being a hypocrite? He thought of using the old 'do as I say, not as I do' trick, but he knew that his students were to old for that. They deserved an explanation.

"I also said that those who don't follow the rules are scum..." He told the two children, who glared in return. Sakura knew where he was coming from, though. Breaking the Hokage's orders was a deadly game to play. Naruto just couldn't grasp that yet, she guessed.

"That's all you have to say? You must be kidding me, sensei!" Naruto bellowed angrily. The time when his teacher's training could actually come into play, the man refuses to help. What a let down. Kakashi looked ahead of him in deep thought. He felt horrible for letting his students down like this. It really did. Every nerve in his body told him to forget his orders and do what he knew was right, but the logical part of his brain overpowered all of that. He turned his gaze back to the village. Only its' large gate showed now. They had gone a pretty far distance during all of this talking. The man looked back at his students. Both of them looked upset, and angry. He had pretty much just written the word 'hypocrite' across his forehead in permanent marker. This reaction was to be expected.

"Listen you two," he started, making them look up quickly, "If we do this, and I'm not saying we are just yet, there is no room for mistakes..." He tried explaining the danger, knowing they'd ignore that. Well, Naruto would. Sakura seemed sensible enough. They nodded excitedly, eyes gleaming.

"We know that, Kakashi sensei! We won't make any mistakes! We'll drag Sasuke's ass all the way back to Konoha, wether he likes it or not!" Naruto screamed pleasantly, making the other two flinch and rub their ears painfully. The blond really could be loud when he wanted to. But at least this time he had a good reason to be.

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><p><strong>AN: <strong>And yet ANOTHER dumbass ending! :D Beautiful... Lol, Sasuke is having a, wait for it.. Waaaiiit for iiit... a REVELATION! OMG? THE TITLE OF THE STORY? NO WAI! NO WAAII! Lol, yea, I just made a crummy title pun. (: ANYWAYS-

**Reviews are loved and applauded, literally.~**

_Nat_


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: **Lol, soo yea! Hey again.~ I am so excited about where this story is going. Haha! It's gonna' get like, amazing. ;3 And, this chapter is also mainly gonna' be focussed around Sas-kun. Sorry Naru-kun fans.~ Long chapter, BTW.

I don't own Naruto.

_Chapter Seven_

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><p>The team continued their walking till night came. The mission so far had been filled with discussion surrounding Sasuke and where he might be. Naruto lie on his back, head resting on his bag. They were covering good distance, but he still was looking for any trace of Orochimaru. Kakashi had agreed to help Sakura and him. It surprised him, in a way. Naruto knew he could get in serious trouble for disobeying the Hokage's orders, and even more for bringing back a missing nin. But, he also knew that Kakashi missed Sasuke, and wanted him back badly. To the blond, this was his family. His dysfunctional, awkward, and goofy family. Kakashi was a father figure, Sakura a sister, and Sasuke a brother. A close brother. Since the boy had left, his family had sunken into depression, pushing him even more in his attempt to bring him back. Naruto flinched as he heard Kakashi shuffle around. He looked at him and noticed he was awake.<p>

"Naruto? You need to rest. We need to deliver this message as fast as possible so we can get to our _own_ little mission. You want to be awake when we're searching, don't you?"

"Of course I do, sensei." The boy whispered and grinned, rolling onto his side and closing his eyes. Kakashi smiled as he heard his student's breathing even itself out. He sighed and folded his hands behind his back. He himself still couldn't sleep. He'd tried occupying himself with his book, but even that hadn't helped ease his worried mind. The man growled and closed his eye quickly, trying to will himself to sleep. Flashes of Tsunade came to him. She would be furious if they did not get Sasuke back. She would be furious if they _did_, but it'd be worse if they returned injured and empty handed. Why had he agreed to do this? Putting his students in danger, it was against his most important rule. Kakashi sat up after all of this passed over him. He surely wasn't getting any rest tonight.

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><p>Sasuke woke to sharp knocking, as he did everyday. The boy lifted himself off the hard mattress and looked towards the door. He had thought long and hard for a week, now. The conclusion had been very hard to come to, and he'd racked his brain for hours to finally come up with one. The Uchiha slid off and pulled his uniform on, taking a deep breath and stepping outside. Orochimaru was not going to be happy about this in the slightest. Kabuto walked up to him and ordered him to follow. They went the opposite direction, which perplexed the boy for a second. He remembered how they were moving to another session today. Sasuke knew nothing yet, but the sannin had seemed very anxious about it. They turned a corner and began making their way down a flight of stairs. Sasuke cocked an eyebrow as they past by numerous lab rooms. He shivered slightly at the prisoners strapped to medical tables. One had apparently woken up and was begging Sasuke to help him. The boy watched quietly as Kabuto sighed and made his way towards him. The Uchiha flinched as the medic knocked the man out, continuing down the hallway.<p>

"Orochimaru-sama is waiting inside. Do what he says and this will be easy." Sasuke glared at him for a moment, not quite understanding him. He entered the room and tensed as he saw the medical table, his sensei standing next to it.

"Come, Sasuke-kun." He chuckled. The Uchiha did so, and was ordered to strip down to only his pants. Sasuke hesitated a while, glaring silently at the snake until he finally obeyed. The older man kicked the clothes away and motioned Sasuke to get onto the table, but Sasuke shook his head.

"Tell me what's going on, Orochimaru." He growled and took a step back. Surely he was not going to be a lab rat. He'd witnessed the horrific experiments Kabuto had put the prisoners through. He hadn't had any sleep those nights. It made him frustrated, that he still couldn't stomach his teacher's cruel ways. It meant he was still weak inside, and it aggravated him to no end.

"Sasuke-kun, please take it easy," he rubbed the child's face gently, "Don't be frightened. I'm not going to let that big, bad Kabu-san hurt you." He snickered and pulled the boy towards him suddenly. Sasuke struggled wildly, flushing a little. How had he known what he was worried about? Was he that obvious?

"I'm not scared of that bitch," he snapped and finally pulled away from his teacher, getting himself on the table and shuddering at it's cold touch on his back. Orochimaru laughed and leaned over him, black hair tickling Sasuke's skin as it fell around his face.

"Don't be frightened." He repeated. The boy was about to punch the snake, but felt straps wrap around his wrists. He tensed and fought them a little, position being realized. He kicked his legs uselessly, but they were forced down and strapped in too.

"O-Orochimaru, you bastard. What are you doing?" He barked at his sensei, who rubbed his chest a little.

"I need that curse mark of yours to start reacting more. It seems like you can still control it. We don't want that, now do we?" Orochimaru whispered in the boy's ear, then walked out. Sasuke shivered on the table. He thought _his_ room had been cold. The fact that he was half naked didn't help much either. The Uchiha pulled at the straps encircling his wrists, fighting to escape. He tugged on it for an eternity, giving up and panting slightly. It was useless, but he wouldn't let himself be carved up like a prisoner. He was so confused. Didn't Orochimaru still need him? A thought passed over him. He was really after his eyes, the envied sharingan he had been gifted with through his ancient bloodline. Was he going to take them? No, this was about his curse mark. Something about taking control of it. His panicking mind couldn't remember clearly and his instincts kicked in, telling him to get _off_ of this medical table. Suddenly, gloved hands grabbed his head, lifting it so that he faced Kabuto. The boy flinched. He hadn't even heard or sensed the man. He must really be losing it.

"It's the first time I've been able to watch an Uchiha have a panic attack. Your trembling is the best part." The silver haired man taunted, throwing the child's head back down on the metal table.

"What are you going to do to me..." He ordered, bearing his teeth angrily. The man shrugged.

"A little cutting and sewing, that's all. It won't hurt too much," the medic paused after saying this, pulling out a few scalpels and setting them onto a tray, "I'm happy I get to use these again. Chakra is so boring during experiments." He smiled and pulled Sasuke's head to the side, exposing his seal. Yes, he would have to undo this heavens seal first. What a pain. He traced his fingers over it. The boy whimpered, mark throbbing at the contact. It had grown extra sensitive with all the abuse it had gone through. His teacher had made sure of that. He watched as Kabuto left, muttering to himself as he went. The boy looked at the tray warily, twitching at the multiple medical tools. He had never been too keen on hospital equipment. It embarrassed him slightly to know he feared it, ever since he was a kid. When his team had travelled to wave country and fought Zabuza and Haku, he had been forced to dig out a senbon needle from his side. Kakashi had offered to do it for him, seeing the child's reluctance. The Uchiha had, humiliatingly, admitted to him that he didn't want to use a kunai knife and instead wanted to try and get it out another way. His sensei had encouraged him that it would be fine, and the two ended up using the knife instead of Sasuke's hand. The boy felt embarrassment flood to his face. What sort of ninja feared knives? Pathetic. The door opening up brought him back to reality. He forced his head up so that he could see. A man was accompanying Kabuto, wearing rags almost. The medic turned to him, right hand resting on his hip, and moved his head towards Sasuke. The man whimpered fearfully and scrambled over. He grabbed Sasuke's hair with shaky hands and exposed his neck. The boy grimaced as he felt fingers trail over his skin, shaking a little.

"Break that seal, and I promise you Orochimaru will let you go." Kabuto chuckled from his place in front of the door. The Uchiha flinched, realizing they ment Kakashi's seal. He began to struggle, trying to get the greasy man's hands off of him. He shook and eyed Kabuto, who nodded. The prisoner lowered his head, pretending to take a closer look at the child's mark and getting a tighter grip on the boy's hair.

"I-I'm sorry." He murmured to Sasuke, who eyed him warningly. He straightened himself up and nodded slowly.

"I can break it, b-but it will hurt him badly... He's just a boy-"

"Do you want to go back to your home or not? Stop talking and do as Orochimaru-sama has asked." The frail man nodded and bit his shaking hand, forming some hand seals and rubbing blood onto the boy's curse mark. The pain was instant and severe, and Sasuke let out a deafening scream. Tears escaped his eyes as the blood seeped into the seal, breaking it down. The agony was terrible, and soon Sasuke simply passed out from the pain.

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><p>He opened his eyes and let out a long moan. A bright light hung over his face, luckily pointed towards his shoulder and not directly at his eyes. He blinked sluggishly, hearing muffled grumbling. His body felt numb, almost like he was dead. The boy whined as hands forced his head around roughly.<p>

"You're finally waking up, I see." The familiar, annoying voice sounded to his right. Sasuke groaned again, too weak to speak. He tried to, but just couldn't. His head fell to the side as Kabuto gently moved it for the hundreth time.

"You're a lot more easy to take care of like this, Sasuke-kun." The man snickered and cut more into the boy's shoulder, fixing the chakra veins. Sasuke blinked quietly, wondering what was going on. He rolled his eyes to look up at the medic, silently asking the question.

"I'm fixing your curse mark. That useless prisoner pretty much fucked your chakra system up. Now I'm having to go through a fix it all." Yes, the man had accidentally made a mistake with his jutsu, tearing into Sasuke shoulder painfully. He'd successfully undid Kakashi's seal, but cut off the curse mark's connection to Sasuke's chakra veins, making it useless. Luckily, it was confined to his shoulder. The boy grunted as he began to regain control of his body. He took a shaky breath as heavy pressure fell onto his neck, making him fight the restraints once again.

"Oh, cut that out..." The older ninja said, but continued working. He wanted to finish this up soon. Of course, this procedure would last all week. But, that was Orochimaru's job. Hours passed by, and the man finished up the boy's shoulder. He took a step back, looking over his work with relieved eyes. Sasuke turned to look at him with lidded ones, then looked down at his mark.

"What... did you do to it?" Kabuto ignored the question. He'd been asking that the entire time, and it was starting to get on his nerves. The drugs were very heavy. They almost had to be, or Sasuke's screams would've be heard throughout the entire base a whole seven hours. No one wanted that, especially Orochimaru. Even _if_ the man loved testing his student's limits, he was not going to listen to it that long. He pulled his gloves off and threw them in the trash after cleaning the boy's skin off. He left without a word. Sasuke stared at the door for who knows how long, mind foggy. He was still confused as to what he was doing on this table. The Uchiha's ears picked up footsteps approaching him once again.

"You're looking well, Sasuke-kun" His teacher's silky voice washed over him, making him tremble weakly. What was wrong with him? He guessed it was medicine of some sort. That would explain the lack of pain coming from his sewn up mark. Orochimaru admired his student for a moment, then let his golden eyes fall to the boy's seal. He made a sign with his left hand, activating it with his dark chakra. The boy made no noise. To him it was just immense pressure, almost a deep, tickling feeling, running up his spine and making him jumpy to any touch. His sensei's hand dropped to touch ther black seal, and it lit up brilliantly and slowly started to creep across the child's body. Their speed was agonizingly slow, but he knew it was doing more than just cover Sasuke. It was tainting him, reconstructing his chakra as it inched its' way over the boy's skin. He knew the drugs Sasuke had been injected with woud, soon enough, wear off. He dreaded the thought. He'd tried this on so many victims before the Uchiha, all of them had killed themeselves from the pain. That, of course, was impossible for Sasuke, who was strapped down securely to the table. The man looked over the boy once more, knowing he would not see him again for a while, and when he did, he would not be the same.

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><p>A few days had passed since Kakashi had agreed to help get Sasuke back. The team now exited the Mizukage's village anxiously, having completed the Hokage's mission in record time. Now, it was the fun part. Kakashi had devised some sort of map for his students and himself, which showed the area Sasuke was thought to be at. He trusted this information, as it had come from the neighboring villages themselves. Citizens had started growing thin around the area, fearful of the sannin. After talking through it a few times, making sure to explain how careful they needed to be, they set off. Kakashi ordered that they stick together. This was not their land, and if caught they needed a jounin to explain their reasons for searching. So they searched, and searched, and searched, until Sakura's legs finally gave out on her. Naruto urged her to continue, offering to carry her on his back if he needed to, but Kakashi intervened and declared that they had done enough for the first day. The sun was setting anyways, he pointed out. Naruto, in the end, complied to the will of his sensei, and settled in with his two teammates. No, he was not tired at all. Not in the slightest. Temptation crept into his mind, telling him he could go off and look around a little himself. The blond's blue orbs looked towards where his sensei slept. He was, indeed, asleep. If Naruto was careful he could pull this off. The boy easily stood up without making a single sound, creeping towards the tree line and getting a good distance away. Either his sensei just let him go, or he was dead tired. It didn't mater to the blond. His sense of direction had become very good, and he could find his way back easily when he was done.<p>

Leaping into the trees with a soft thumping noise, he set out on his own. Seeing in the dark had never been an issue for him. He wondered, deep in the back of his head, if the Kyuubi was to be thanked for his night eyes. After thirty minutes had passed, the boy stopped on a particularly high branch and stood himself up. Crickets sang on the forest floor and his sensitive ears tuned it out quickly, for the moment. He quite enjoyed the songs they made. He didn't actually know what he was listening for, but he did it anyways to be safe. Nothing sounded that was out of the ordinary, and he started off to the next set of tall branches. He thought of something quickly, flipping himself to the lowest limbs he could find and perching himself in quickly. Orochimaru was a clever bastard. He wouldn't build a mansion that could be seen from miles away. What had he been thinking? It would be something discrete, hard to find and blended in perfectly with the surroundings. He looked around for a while, scanning everything he could. He moved on after realizing nothing was around. The hours passed him by, and still nothing had shown up. That is, until he caught a bat flying past his head with his hand.

His fingers caged the small animal's body gently, in a harmless, yet forceful manner. The creature let out small squeals and nibbled at his fingertips. Naruto pet it a little, enjoying its' warmth. It was a baby, probably, heading back to its' home to sleep. The sun _was _going to be rising soon. He sighed and let the bat go, knowing he himself needed to start getting back. He watched the animal swoop down to the ground and vanish, confusing him greatly. Was it eating a bug it found? No, even _he_ knew bats could eat and fly at the same time. Otherwise they'd be pretty defenseless creatures when filling their bellies.

He jumped down to examine further, gasping as he almost lost his footing and fell a few feet down. There was a cave of some sorts in the earth, facing outwards towards the trees. Walking down the slope to his left carefully, he peered inside. Naruto's eyes widened in surprise. Two stone doors were carved into the cave's back wall and a cluster of bats clung to the roof. This had to be it. Orochimaru's base. Or one of them, at least. His heart felt like it had frozen in time, and the blond looked around himself in joyous excitement. What was he to do now? His adrenaline pumped brain came up with the answer after some heavy thinking.

_'Kakashi-sensei! And Sakura-chan! They need to see this!' _The boy turned and ran back to where the two slept, which took a few minutes. Perhaps ten. He had searched quite distance during the night. Once he saw the smoke rising out of the trees from last night's fire he jumped back to the ground, doing a few flips and catching himself before he planted his face into Sakura's back.

"Naruto! Where the hell did you-"

"Sensei! Sakura-chan! Follow me! Come on!" He said in a hushed voice, as if he were trying to tell them a secret that no one else could know. With that said, he turned and flung himself back into the trees, waving them to follow dramatically. The two looked him over with odd glances, got their things, then followed him quickly. The boy stopped a couple of times and listened for something they did not know, soon finding themselves on the ground again.

"Naruto, what is it you want to show us so badly?" Sakura asked quietly, being motioned to keep her voice down by her blond companion. The boy hurried towards where the cave was and pointed it out. The two other ninja gaped slightly, surprised that Naruto had found it by himself.

"This is it, hopefully." Kakashi whispered, feeling energy pump through his once tired limbs. He was wide awake now, and prepared to storm through this base in a heartbeat. Of course, that would be extremely foolish. They had to think this through, step by step, move by move, and minute by minute. Even then, they'd have a high chance of getting themselves killed. Kakashi sighed and turned to his students.

"You're prepared to risk your life to do this?" He murmured, knowing his answer was a yes, but wanting to hear his student's thoughts. Sakura nodded quickly, wanting terribly to just get in and get out. This place gave her the creeps. Her emerald eyes were locked onto the stone doors, as if seeing past them and into the darkness they sealed inside. Naruto almost bursted at his sensei's question.

"I'd give my life twice to get Sasuke back." He snarled and glared seriously at Kakashi. The man should have known this answer was coming, and he smiled under his mask. The three creeped forward, preparing to enter the snake's domain.

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><p><strong>AN: <strong>Ohhh, a cliffy! Ok, I had a fantastic time writing this chapter. It's probably my favorite so far. Anyways, yea, I'll get done with chapter eight. A new part in the story is coming up, and this part is coming to an end. 8D Yaaay, save Sas-kun time.~

**Reviews are loved and wanted.**

_Nat_


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: **Haha, so sorry I made you wait oh so long! This chapter should be fairly easy to finish up, though, since I know exactly what is going to happen. **School is making updating frequently more difficult! Please bear with me!**

I don't own Naruto, nor Sasu-kun's good looks.~

_Chapter Eight_

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><p>The three creaped forward, preparing themselves for what was about to come. The bats on the roof of the cave squeaked slightly as they approached, flapping their wings uncomfortably. Naruto's sharp eyes caught the baby that had led them here, smiling and thanking it silently. It yawned and wrapped its' wings around itself. Kakashi appraoched the two stone doors, pausing for a moment. He didn't know how these opened. His one grey eyes trailed to the snakes circling the doors middle, placing his hand over it and sending some chakra through the stone. The rock spat out some dust, then began to move open. Sakura watched anxiously as the entrance slowly revealed its' insides. Kakashi motioned them forward with a shake of his head. They hurried inside. The door slammed behind them, and Kakashi cursed under his breath. That would get anyone's attention. Torches lit themselves up, showing them three hallways. Naruto tensed as he noticed each one looked the same.<p>

"Sensei...," he whispered, eyes focussing on the hallway farthest to the left, "We have to split up if we're going to finish this quickly."

"No. We are staying together. If one of us ran into Orochimaru, we'd be dead." Sakura nodded, looking at the corridor to the right.

"Sensei, this may take days to look through-" Kakashi stopped her as he unveiled his sharingan.

"No. I already sense a few small chakra signals," he made his way to the left hallway, "Follow me, and stay quiet." The two kids nodded and ran after him. They ran for a while, running into a stairwell. Sakura looked down, starting the sense the other presences. Her sensei began making his way down and Naruto and her followed close behind. They entered the lower level quietly, and Kakashi motioned them to crouch. Footsteps sounded down the hallway. They were bare and erratic, as if the person was running at an odd angle. Naruto shivered as a raspy cough sounded, then a door swinging open.

"Sensei, where are we?"

"I don't know. Stay quiet." The footsteps started getting closer and a light flickered on. Sakura flinched as she saw a body in front of her. The person's chest was blown away, organs dangling out.

_'Chidori.'_ Kakashi thought and narrowed his eyes. Naruto gritted his teeth and shuffled slightly. The footsteps stopped and a small gasp was heard. The feet made their way towards them, and a shadow appeared under the light. Kakashi gripped his kunai tightly. The ninja's chakra was very dark and _very_ large. He thought of Kabuto. The shadow moved slightly and the man lunged around the corner, face to face with an empty hallway. He blinked in confusion, his two students creeping out from around the corner. Naruto cocked an eyebrow at the disgusting hallway. Bodies lie everywhere, partially rotting. The stench wasn't as strong as usual though, and Sakura grew confused. By the look of them the smell should be almost unbearable. A shadow flew across the corridor a few yards down, splashing in a puddle of blood. Kakashi ran forward, turning sharply and entering a room. He flipped on the light, watching it take its' time to flicker on. A medical table sat in the middle of the floor, a frail person strapped down on it. The shadow from before stood behind the table, hands around the other's head.

"S-Save me! Please!" The man begged, head snapping to the side the next moment and jaw going slack. A giggle escaped the shadow and it ran from the room. Sakura shivered. This was beginning to scare her. Tsunade-sama had once brought her to an asylum once as a mission. This reminded her of it, and she gulped down a whimper. Naruto seemed to be struggling with the same thoughts, hands balling into fists over and over. Their sensei looked them over.

"Be prepared to kill whoever that was. Don't take any chances." The two children nodded, turning as laughter erupted from the hallway. Naruto froze, sweat dripping down his face.

_'Sasuke?... What is going on?'_ He thought, instinctively running after the voice. His sensei tried to grab him, but the blond vanished into the shadows. The boy ran after the footsteps, arriving in a large, dimly lit room. Another medical table sat in the middle, straps hanging off of it. Whoever had been there had broken out a while ago. The giggle sounded again and Naruto looked into the corner of the room. Two red eyes appeared and another chuckle sounded. The blond's heart pounded. This was Sasuke, or whatever was left of him. The Uchiha started forward, stepping into the light. His eyes were pitch black, excluding his red irises. His body was splattered in blood and his chest was covered in black bruises. The curse mark was lit up and covering his body. Naruto gaped at the sight. The boy was smiling psychotically, reaching out to the boy.

"Come,_ Naruto_! See how much I've changed!" Sasuke screamed to him and fingered him forward. The blond froze. This was his nightmare. This was what he'd dreamt of. He took a few steps back from the black haired boy. Sweat covered him. Kakashi banged on the door behind him.

"Naruto! Naruto are you in there!" Sakura screamed from outside. Naruto swallowed hard before replying with a loud, shaky yes.

"What's happening? Hold on we'll get the door open!"

"I'm sorry, Kakashi-_sensei_, but that's impossible," Sasuke laughed, "You are not strong enough to open it. You never will be! Only I have that power!" The boy formed a chidori, running at Naruto. The blond leaped out of the way, watching the other with wide eyes. Sasuke crushed through the wall, standing within the dust cloud. He stared intently at the two ninja in the hallway.

"Watch me kill them!" The Uchiha roared and ran at them, another chidori bursting into his hand. Sakura trembled and felt strong arms push her away. Kakashi blocked the boy's attack, grabbing his wrist and squeezing tight. Sasuke breathed heavily, one eye morphing into a deep, yellow color. He snickered and pulled away from his sensei. Sakura felt tears burn her eyes and a small whine passed her quivering lips. Sasuke turned to her. He licked the blood off of his hand and faced her.

"_Sakura_!" He hissed in his throat. The marks began to merge together, making him shudder and clutch his head. He cried out as his skin turned grey. Kakashi grabbed his arm, making the boy look up swiftly. He punched the man hard, knocking him back a few feet. Another childish giggle escaped the boy.

"Look how _powerful_ I am! Look how much I've _grown_!" the boy screamed at Sakura, who flinched and started to back away from him, "Konoha never could have given me this power! Don't you see?" He started forward with his hands out. Naruto tackled the Uchiha to the floor, holding his arms down. Sasuke laughed again, head falling to the side.

"You're still after me." He yelled, growing serious. Naruto stared down at him quietly, sitting on the boy's stomach. The boy under him screamed in rage, struggling under the hold.

"_WHY!_ Why must you torture me, you _bastard_! You're always there," Sasuke screeched furiously, making Kakashi cock an eyebrow, "Haunting my sleep! Disturbing my thoughts! Just leave me _alone_!" Naruto stared with wide eyes. Sasuke had been thinking of him? All this time? He gritted his teeth and felt tears burn his eyes.

"Sasuke... What has he done to you.." The tears began to fall, dripping onto Sasuke's face. The Uchiha watched quietly, yellow eye gleaming hungrily. He laughed at the blond's reaction, switching their position so that he was on top.

"Now I'm going to kill you. Then I'll finally be alone." He whispered slowly. Naruto flinched at his words, seeing Kakashi spring into action. He grabbed Sasuke off and threw him against the wall. The boy gritted his teeth and eyed his sensei. The man punched him in the stomach. The black haired boy coughed and growled. He kicked the man in the gut, feeling his left arm realeased. He fisted his hand and nailed Kakashi's face once again, smiling as he heard the man inhale slightly. Kakashi was thrown off and against the cold, brick wall. The Uchiha panted, marks growing darker. He once again clutched his head, whimpering. The boy crouched on the floor and trembled weakly. Naruto ran to him, ignoring the boy's growing chakra.

"Sasuke.." He choked out as his friend attempted to bite and claw him. His pupils were turning into slits, blood pouring forth from his opened mouth.

"_Leave me be_!" The boy screamed loudly, freezing as the tan boy's arms wrapped around his frail frame. He grew quiet, eyes large and confused. Naruto hugged him tighter, allowing his tears to fall. His friend had fallen into darkness. Orochimaru had destroyed him. His heart fell into his stomach and he cried harder. Sakura stood close by, still terrified of the black haired boy. She felt Kakashi make his way to her side, watching the scene with worry. He expected Sasuke to attack at any moment. The boy shook slightly, though, marks scattering and returning back to his shoulder. His eyes began to fade back into their usual ebony color.

A strangled gasp escaped the boy and he fell into Naruto's hold, panting loudly. He felt dizzy and tired. His curse mark had taken over a few days ago, and he'd been running amuck ever since. The boy's muscles ached and his energy felt drained. Naruto held his friend, flinching as his head fell against his shoulder.

"N-Naruto?..." Sasuke whispered quietly, signaling he had gained control over himself once again. Kakashi and Sakura rushed over and crouched beside Naruto. The blond looked up at his sensei with confused eyes, feeling Sasuke begin to tremble more noticeably. The older male stared quietly.

"Sensei.. What happened to him?" Naruto whispered, looking over his thin friend. The boy was covered in bruises and scratch marks, as if he'd been fighting with someone. His sensei was silent for a while, taking a look at Sasuke's curse mark. He noticed his seal had been removed.

"His curse mark must have taken over. It looks like he's been down here a while, too..." He trailed off, seeing how thin his student had become. Yes, the boy had grown since the last time they'd seen him. He was a few inches taller, and his muscles were going through the awkward growth spurt all teenage boys went through at his age. The man also noted how fast he had become. Orochimaru had obviously pushed the boy to advance at an unatural pace. Sasuke took in shallow breaths, eyes watching the man tiredly. Kakashi suppressed a flinch. The boy looked like a corpse almost.

"Sensei?... Wha-at are you doing.. h-here?" He stammered quietly. His throat felt like a cat had scratched it numerous times.

"We're here to rescue you, Sasuke. You're going back to Konoha with us." Naruto told Sasuke calmly, wiping a few stray tears from his eyelashes. The boy suddenly became violent. He thrashed about in the hold weakly. Kakashi placed a hand on the boy's shoulder, restraining him a bit.

"No! You can't take me ba-ack!" The Uchiha ordered, growing furious. He had become so much stronger, and here he was sitting in his former teammate's _lap _pretty much. An irritated roar escaped his throat and he pushed away from them, falling back against the wall. A violent shiver ran up his spine suddenly and he shuddered against the bloodied stone. Sakura rubbed his back soothingly, green orbs full of concern. The boy didn't refuse the touch, dropping his head and letting his bangs cover his face. The girl inched closer, continuing to soothe his aching muscles. Naruto blinked in surprise. That bastard, Orochimaru, must have really torn the boy apart. Usually the Uchiha never accepted such touches. The boy cried out suddenly, bringing him back to reality. Sakura took back her hand quickly.

"I'm sorry, Sasuke-kun. What hurts?" The girl whispered soothingly, hand glowing green. The boy rubbed his back, and the girl looked closer at it. Scars adorned his pale skin, some of them bleeding slightly. She trailed her hand over them, sealing them back up and making them begin to vanish. Sasuke let out a relieved breath, thankful that she was using chakra instead of stitches. The thought made him gulp a little. Kabuto and Orochimaru hadn't shown themselves in a long time. Maybe they had given up on him. Maybe he was too weak. The boy gritted his teeth after thinking that. No. Impossible. Orochimaru said he had come so far. He felt the girl rubbing his back again and he sighed heavily. Kakashi looked up as he heard another set of footsteps, listening carefully.

"Sasuke," the boy eyed him exhaustedly, cheek pressed against the wall, "Who else is here? Down here. Where is this?" He asked quickly, turning as he sensed another chakra. The Uchiha blinked and closed his eyes, thinking hard. He remembered another man he had met while running throughout the empty base. The man had attacked him on sight, and Sasuke had fled back down to this lower level. The other male had bright orange hair, and a large build.

"Juugo..." He whispered. Kakashi picked up the boy swiftly and got to his feet. Sasuke hung limp in his hold, head back and mouth opened slightly. His eyes cracked open as a deep chuckle sounded from down the hallway. He began to shake.

_'Who is dumb enough to enter our domain?'_ The voice hissed and echoed around the ninja. Naruto growled and got next to his sensei. The man laughed again and the lights turned off, leaving them in darkness. Sakura shivered and clung to Naruto fearfully. Yes, she was ready to face the snake himself, Kabuto even, but this was becoming too much. Naruto looked down at her, or tried his best to in the darkness. Sasuke grunted painfully, feeling his mark begin to sting. Kakashi ran down the hall, sharingan glowing dimly. Naruto grasped his sensei's jacket tightly, wondering why he couldn't see. He usually had no problem. Maybe the kyuubi was being lazy. Sakura clung to his side, hearing another psychotic laugh erupt from her right. She let go for a moment and turned to meet two red eyes. The next moment, a hand clapped itself over her mouth and strong arms wrapped around her body. Naruto walked for a while, reaching out to feel for his pink haired teammate. He missed her touch slightly. The girl was not there, though. In fact, he couldn't even hear her frantic breathing anymore.

"Sensei, Sakura isn't here. We have to stop." Kakashi froze and turned, looking around for her chakra. Nothing. He passed Sasuke into Naruto's arms, causing a moan to slip past the Uchiha's lips, and focussed on finding Sakura's presence. He made a few handsigns, calling forth a small dog. He ordered it to search for his female student, and Naruto heard it scamper off quickly. The man stood back up and grab Naruto's arm.

"Sensei! We can't leave without her!" The blond screamed, pulling out of the man's tight grip and jerking back a few steps. Sasuke groaned in his hold, gritting his teeth painfully. All this moving around was making him feel sick. He clutched his gut as it churned. Kakashi glared at Naruto, grabbing him again and yanking him away from where Sakura had disappeared. The lights began to turn back on, one popping and spilling glass over them. The three ninja hurried up the stairs and back to the entrance, setting Sasuke down and waiting to receive word from Kakashi's dog. Naruto looked over Sasuke as he rubbed his shoulder, nervous. The blond wondered if it was activating again, and he shuddered slightly. He turned as paws scratched the stone floor. The hound ran to them, blue bandana shifting around its' furry neck. The older male crouched and the canine stopped before him.

"I smell her, Kakashi," the dog spoke, licking his nose and continuing, "But there is another person with her. Smells dangerous." Kakashi nodded and shifted his gaze to Sasuke.

"Sasuke, where is Orochimaru and Kabuto?"

"Away. They haven't been here... for four days." The boy breathed out, chin falling against his chest in exhaustion. Naruto rubbed his arm gently, looking at his sensei with relieved eyes. The grey haired man motioned him to stay, turning and following the dog down another hallway. Naruto watched him go, swallowing hard. How in the world had Sasuke lived here? It was so damn eerie. He wouldn't spend a day in here by choice. Sasuke let out a whimper, flinching and hunching a little. The blond returned to watching him.

"Sasuke? Are you thirsty or hungry? It... doesn't look like you've been eating lately." The boy trailed off. The Uchiha was _extremely_ thin. Though, he was thin before. He had wondered if Sasuke wasn't feeding himself properly before. Kakashi had said he'd try eating with the boy more often to make sure he was alright. His sensei didn't have a chance to. Sasuke had left the week after. The boy felt himself smile. He had found his friend, though. He would be safe as soon as they stepped out of here. The boy eyed him nervously. The blond was staring at him, and his nerves jumped uneasily at the look. The next moment, he was in the boy's hold again. He struggled a bit, not used to the comforting touch. Orochimaru only got this close to him when he was being punished or about to give the boy a punch. Naruto held him tighter, reassuring him that it was alright. The Uchiha picked up the friendly gesture and relaxed against him. The boy sighed shakily and rested his forehead against the other's shoulder.

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><p>Kakashi stopped behind the grey dog, looking around himself. They were surrounded by pillars, a giant snake statue sitting before him. Its' eyes were lit with candles, giving off an almost dominant aura. His sharingan caught something, a small body spread out in front of the snake.<p>

_'Sakura!'_ He thought and ran to his student. The dog barked for him to wait, but vanished in a puff of smoke as a fist drove into his skull. The sensei paused and watched as the smoke cleared from the floor. He narrowed his eyes and looked for whoever had attacked the hound. A figure flew past and his sharingan tried to catch it. A man, it seemed. A large one at that. His red eyes gleamed in the small light emitting from the stone statue's eyes.

"Are you afraid, you fool? I smell fear radiating from your body." The male snickered, standing on the reptile's long, cold tongue. Sakura was thrown over his shoulder uncaringly. Her sensei snarled and looked the attacker over. Obviously a victim of Orochimaru's damned curse mark. His left arm was completely disfigured, and Kakashi almost felt like emptying his stomach at the disgusting sight. The man laughed loudly and set the girl down behind him.

"You are Juugo?" The jounin said after remembering Sasuke's words. If this was the person his student spoke of, then he had an idea who had roughed the boy up. Juugo snarled at his question and lunged at the man, letting out a fearsome battle cry.

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><p>Sasuke lifted his head up from his eating as a loud screech echoed from the hallways across from him. He dropped the food he was holding and gulped. Naruto had frozen as well, nervous for his sensei's well being. He picked up his friend and ran down the hallway towards the noise, Sasuke struggling in his hold.<p>

"N-Naruto! Where are you taking us? We can't go down there!" The boy screamed, but clutched the blond's orange and black jacket as they made a few sharp turns. The familiar feeling of nausea passed over him and he hid his face in the warm fabric. Naruto ignored him, adjusting the boy so he wouldn't jerk around so much. He sped up as another sound reached his ears. A chidori, it seemed. His sensei had certainly found someone. He hoped Sakura was alright.

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><p>Kakashi lept out of the dust cloud his attack had made, perching himself onto a pillar and looking for Juugo. This man was fast. Extremely fast. Almost <em>too<em> fast. He had successfully gotten Sakura in a safer place and out of harms way, but Juugo had become persistent in his attempts to crush him and the unconscious female. Suddenly, he saw him. Juugo. The orange haired man was heading straight for him, deformed arm beginning to roar and shoot out chakra. He sped up dramatically, chakra propelling his other fist into Kakashi's abdomen. The man coughed up blood, soaking his mask and flying back into the snake. He crashed into its' hallow body, lifting his hand to cover a few cracked ribs. Juugo stood before him the next moment, grinning and showing two rows of yellow teeth. His grey arm lifted once more, blue chakra spurting out and smoke billowing forth, beginning to surround the man. He stopped, though, taking a few shaky steps forward. Kakashi blinked, seeing kunai stab the man's arm. Juugo turned, eyes glowing furiously. Naruto clutched a few shuriken between his fingers, glaring at the deformed male. Sasuke sat next to him, staring wide eyed at Juugo. The man smiled as he spotted the Uchiha, snickering and turning to face them.

"Look! Look!" he cried and pointed with his monstrous limb, "The _favorite_ boy! Orochimaru's little _pet_! I've been looking for you!" Juugo laughed and stumbled towards the boys. Naruto shot the shurikens at Juugo, nailing the man's toned chest. The older male did not falter, though. He sped up, once again beginning to propel himself forward.

"Naruto! Sasuke! Get out of the way!" Kakashi yelled, chidori bursting in his hand. Naruto swiftly grabbed his friend around the waist and lept to the right, just getting away in time. Juugo pounded through the wall, blasting rock in multiple directions. He cried out angrily and ran at the blond again, this time being tackled by the other man. Kakashi's chidori had faded and instead he stabbed a kunai into the male's shoulder, drawing out a fountain of blood. Naruto watched the two hit a pillar, flinching as his sensei was thrown off roughly. Sasuke flinched and shuddered, hearing Juugo screech loudly. Naruto set him down, beginning to walk towards the yelling man. He stopped as he felt hands grab his pants. Sasuke clutched the fabric weakly, looking up worriedly.

"He-e's going to kill you! We have to get away!" He explained desperately, being shoved off and given a hard look. The Uchiha tried getting to his feet, but ended up sliding back to his knees and whimpering slightly. He rubbed his curse mark tenderly, watching Naruto leap at Juugo with his shadow clone. The Uchiha shivered as the clone exploded and Naruto shot back next to him. The blond whined and got back up, legs shaking. Sasuke choked as he felt a large hand wrap around his neck and his back hit the punishing wall. He coughed and kicked tiredly, feeling Juugo tighten his grip. His curse mark began to spread over him, blood dripping down his chin as the man punched him in the gut.

"Sasuke!" Naruto yelled and formed a few shadow clones once again. Kakashi finally reached him, mask pulled down due to the incessant flow of blood oozing from his mouth. Naruto temporarily paused, shocked to see his sensei's exposed jaw. The man held his side, glaring at Juugo.

"Go, Naruto. I'll be right behind you." He coughed out. Naruto placed an arm in front of him, stopping him.

"Kakashi-sensei, you can sit this one out. Just leave the rest to me!" With that said, the boy launched himself forward, aiming a blow at Juugo's head.

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><p><strong>AN:<strong> OMG was it amazing? Probably. Haha, yea Juugo is in the same base. Yea yea, whatever. It's MY story! He is there! Get over it, please!

**Reviews are loved and wanted!**

_Nat_


	9. Chapter 9

**AN: **Haha, baaack! Nothing to say. (:

I don't frigin' own Naruto!

_Chapter Nine_

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><p>Sasuke choked as the grip tightened considerably, and he felt a tinge in his curse mark. He opened his mouth to let out a cry of pain, but with his airway constricted in such a way it was impossible. Juugo smiled at the boy, who slowly stopped his squirming and resumed to soft squeeking noises.<p>

"Die, runt!" He screamed and lifted his fist one more, readying it and about to nail the child across the face. Suddenly, a kunai stabbed into his neck and ripped to the side. Blood spilled over his left shoulder and arm and the monster let out a roar of pain. He dropped Sasuke, who fell onto to the floor and hunched. His curse mark was spreading wildly and the pain was growing unreal. His mind began to twist and warp, and the sudden urge to kill came to mind. The boy lifted his head, seeing his sensei running towards him.

"Sasuke! Hold on," the man choked, knowing what he had to do, "I'm sorry, but I have to do this." Sasuke snarled and trembled, a strong wave of agony ripping through him and making him cry out weakly. The chakra forced his eyes to activate and his muscles ached from his previous activities. Kakashi pulled out two kunai, grabbing his student's right hand and slamming it down on the floor. He hesitated for what felt like days, then finally brought the weapon down on the boy's soft skin. Sasuke choked out painfully, hand becoming pinned to the floor. The Uchiha shook and groaned, body withering under the intense misery. Blood seeped forth from the wound, sending scarlet ribbons cascading between his fingers and his nails dug into the floor.

"Kak-kashi-" Another wave hit him and he gasped out, other hand being stabbed. His teacher slit his own hand, throwing his glove away carelessly. He knew the symbols he needed to make, but he didn't know if he'd have the time with Juugo running amuck behind him. He turned to see Naruto kicking the man back into another pillar. He seemed to be doing fine, seeing that Juugo was obviously running out of energy. The grey haired man turned back to Sasuke, who was glaring at him heatedly. A low growl escaped his throat and his arms twitched. The boy's eyes squeezed shut as he tried moving his right hand.

"You... _bastard_." He hissed quietly, opening one red eye to give him a weak, serious stare. Kakashi shrugged off the rude remark, knowing half of it was the pain talking. He quickly began to form the seals, using the blood from his hand to create them. His student shook furiously, shifting a little and freezing up as the kunais sliced into him. He let out a few sharp hisses, marks melting together and covering his skin with a chalky grey color. Kakashi hurried himself, seeing the boy began to struggle more furiously. The boy tried controlling himself, feeling the dark power continue to take over though. He dropped his head and let out a pained filled grunt.

"S-Sensei..." He whimpered to the man. The next moment he shot forward as far as the kunai would let him, snapping at Kakashi with sharp teeth. His teacher took a second to push the boy back, then returned to making the seals. He sighed and grabbed his student's jaw, holding his head back and keeping him from biting him. The boy growled and felt the bloody fingers on his chest, trailing downwards and making his stomach flip.

"_Off!_" He ordered and felt the grip tighten. Kakashi pitied the boy. The curse mark had really taken over, and it hurt to see the child morph into the beast Orochimaru desired. He finished the next to lines, but paused as he heard Naruto scream painfully.

Juugo threw Naruto off and the blond tumble backwards across the floor. Just when he thought the man was weakening, he got a power boost from that damn curse mark. The boy looked up and panted. He froze as he saw Juugo flying towards Sasuke and his sensei.

"Kakashi-sensei!" He hollered desperately, seeing the man already preparing to dodge. Sasuke finally ripped his hands free, though, curse mark ablaze. The Uchiha ran at Juugo with blind fury, snarling as he went. Kakashi tried grabbing him, but the boy was too fast and his ribs punished him for trying. The two ninja clashed, Sasuke grabbing Juugo's humongous arm and flipping him over head. The man caught himself before his head hit the stone floor, sliding back a little and laughing at the boy. Naruto watched quietly, making his way over to Sakura. She lied back towards the darker part of the room, out of harms way. The blond turned a few times to make sure his teammate was alright. The curse mark would give him strength, perhaps enough to bring down the brute he was fighting, but afterwards he would be insane again. The boy hated the look he got in his eyes with his curse mark. Deranged. He shook Sakura gently, urging her to wake. The female's green eyes cracked open and a soft whine escaped her.

"Sakura-chan, sensei is hurt." He begged her, knowing Kakashi was losing a large amount of blood. He turned as a scream was heard. Sasuke's arm had been snatched up, now squeezed to the point of breaking. He struggled madly against the larger man, punching his chest uselessly. Juugo grinned and snapped his arm, ripping another screech from the boy. Sasuke fell to the floor, curse mark retreating at the overwhelming pain. He slid onto his stomach weakly, energy leaving him once again. The Uchiha whined as the hand grabbed his throat again, lifting him up to Juugo's grey face.

"I should have been the favorite." He hissed and threw the boy at Kakashi, who cushioned him from hitting the hard wall. The man sputtered more blood, his student lying limp in his arms. Juugo watched with wide, red eyes. The grey haired man turned as he saw Sakura and Naruto running towards them.

"Sensei!" The girl whispered in shock, seeing how the man's chest was drenched in red liquid. Naruto's blue eyes landed on Sasuke, seeing him tremble slightly. He once again looked at Juugo, who smiled at him and licked his lips hungrily. The blond narrowed his eyes warningly, forming a shadow clone.

"Sakura-chan, make sure to heal them." He told his friend, making his way over to the deformed man. Juugo crouched a little, preparing to launch at him. One Naruto leapt over the man's arm as it shot out to punch him, landing on his feet and flinging himself onto Juugo's back. The man was restrained by two more clones. Naruto stood before him, rasengan in hand. Juugo struggled and let out a fierce scream, feeling the boy's attack ram into his stomach. The skin ripped and tore away from his body, leaving a gaping hole. Blood poured out onto Naruto's arm, drenching him and turning his entire right arm bright red. He ripped free of the man's wound. Juugo stared down at him, curse mark fading away. Blood spurted past his lips and the clones allowed him to fall face down onto the hard floor. The clones vanished and Naruto gave the man one last glance. He turned as he heard Kakashi cry out, running back to his team. Sasuke leaned against the wall, moaning and grunting in pain. His arm was purple and swelling up terribly. Sakura winced as her sensei ground his teeth together again. She fixed the second rib into place, grabbing Naruto's jacket and cutting off a long strip and tying it around her sensei's waist. The blond grimaced and yanked the rest of his jacket off, looking over the Uchiha. He shivered slightly and the tan ninja felt the urge to wrap his bloodied jacket around his thin friend. He watched as Sasuke shuffled a little, letting out a weak cry as his broken arm shifted. Naruto saw Sakura run to him, gently placing her hands on his swollen limb. He whimpered and moved his head to the side.

"I'm sorry, Sasuke-kun... Please, hold still..." She whispered soothingly, quickly setting the bone back in place. The weak teen hissed and bit his tongue, eyes watering. She hushed him and held her hand out to Naruto, asking for another strip of his jacket. He nodded and cut another piece, watching his pink haired teammate place her headband over Sasuke arm to keep it in place. She began to wrap the cloth around it, finishing it up with a tight knot. She wiped her forehead and sighed slightly, rubbing the boy's shoulder tenderly and telling him it was going to be alright. Naruto turned his blue eyes to his sensei, who was rubbing his side a little.

"We need to leave, you two. Naruto," he said sternly, getting the blond boy to flinch, "Carry Sasuke, we'll try and seal his curse mark later tonight." The boy nodded and slid his arms under his pale friend, who growled slightly. Kakashi stood himself up, ignoring the throbbing pain in his side. The four made their way back to the entrance, picking up their bags and opening the stone doors. Sasuke grunted and covered his eyes. He hadn't seen daylight in a week, and his black orbs were pulsing madly. Naruto looked down at him for a moment, seeing just how pale Sasuke had become. Bruises covered his entire body, along with small scratches. He also was marred with an assortment of scars, varying in length. Over all, he looked very tired. His eyes had bags under them. The blond looked back up, also squinting his eyes at the sudden change in light. The four moved out into the forest, getting as far away from the hideout as possible. Sasuke moaned in pain, still covering his eyes. Sakura turned to give the Uchiha a sad look. She hadn't thought that seeing her childhood crush would effect her, but she'd even began calling him 'Sasuke-_kun_' again. The girl was so frustrated with herself. Yes, the boy had grown even cuter over the past few months, she noticed. His chest had become so toned. Her mind began to wander, and a small blush crossed her cheeks. The kunoichi caught herself, turning away from her two teammates. They stopped for a break, seeing that all of them were exhausted. Juugo had taken a lot of time, though. Too much time. Kakashi worried that Tsunade would begin to wonder about them. They began to plan the trip back, allowing Sasuke to rest. Sadly, the child refused and tried bringing himself to his feet shakily. Naruto turned away from his team, giving Sasuke a firm glare.

"Sit down, teme. You can hardly move, let alone walk." He grumbled and returned to talking with Sakura and his sensei. Sasuke slid back to his knees with an angry grimace crossing his features. He had to admit, Naruto had grown. Along with Sakura. His blond friend was so collected, and he wasn't a squealing, little brat anymore. He looked towards the woods, eyes finally adjusting all the way. He wanted to get back to the hideout. Orochimaru would surely have his hide for this. Of course, it was his sensei's fault. Why the hell had he left anyways? Sasuke gripped the grass below him tightly and annoyingly, gritting his teeth and glaring at his hands.

"Sasuke," the boy looked up quickly, glare still there, "Rest. You'll be a burden if you don't. Did living with that fucking snake make you dumb and deaf?"

"Naruto... Calm down." Kakashi ordered, watching the two boys with tired eyes. Sasuke dipped his head, sharingan activating. Naruto continued to glare. They both stayed like that for a while, completely furious. Sakura sighed heavily. Back to normal, she guessed. Though, Sasuke did deserve a few punches from Naruto. Probably from the entire village, in fact. Kakashi grabbed Naruto's wrist as the blond stood up, making Sasuke flinch instinctively.

"Naruto." He growled to his student. Naruto trembled and sat back down, back facing Sasuke. The Uchiha looked down again. He _was_ very tired. He lied down in the grass, facing away from his former teammates. The warmth of the sun was beginning to relax his muscles. The heat was a relief to him, having lived in a cave for the past months. The Uchiha's eyes closed slowly, and he drifted off after a few moments.

Kakashi heard Sasuke's breathing even out, lowering his voice so as to not wake him. Sakura leaned forward a little, as well as Naruto.

"Now that we have Sasuke back we can rest for a while. We'll move out a little farther towards the next town, and rest there for the night," The grey haired man explained slowly, eyeing Sasuke for a moment, "Sasuke could use a bath, too. Along with some food." Sakura nodded understandingly, while Naruto just watched the clouds overhead silently. Kakashi gave him a concerned look, then told him to get Sasuke so that they could head out.

The team stepped into the hotel, walking up to the front desk. Sasuke rested on Naruto's back, arms hanging loosely over his shoulders. Kakashi bought them a room and walked them to it. They opened the door slowly, looking over the room. There was one large bed, a bathroom, and an old television with a chair next to it. Sakura shivered. She was just thinking about how dirty this room was. Naruto walked in slowly, sitting Sasuke down on the bed and sitting in the chair behind him. Sakura cautiously walked into the bathroom, sighing as she noticed at least this part of the room was taken care of. She turned to her sensei and nodded. The man placed a hand on Sasuke's shoulder, making the boy tense slightly.

"Sasuke, you go take a shower and I'll get you something to eat." The child opened his mouth to protest, but received a stern 'now' before he could begin. He snapped his mouth shut and looked down at the floor angrily. The Uchiha stood shakily, placing a hand on the television for balance. Kakashi grabbed him before he fell, helping him stand. His student struggled against the firm, yet careful, hold. Kakashi lifted him into his arms and walked him into the bathroom. Sasuke snarled and tried to push away from the man, whimpering as his broken arm throbbed. The man set him down on the tile floor. The boy shivered at the cold touch and glared up at his sensei, who shut the door and turned the water on. He struggled to get to his feet again, clutching his arm the next second.

"Cut that out, Sasuke." The man said tiredly, holding a wash cloth under the faucet. He kneeled in front of his thin student. Sasuke flinched away from him, sending him death glares. The grey haired man began to wipe his face gently, washing away the grit and blood. The Uchiha squeezed his eyes shut and ground his teeth together, ashamed that he couldn't do this himself. After Kakashi cleaned him off a little, he switched the shower on. Sasuke jumped as hands messed with his pants, slapping them off and pinning Kakashi with his sharingan, though only for a moment since his chakra was so drained.

"You can do it yourself?"

"Of course I can!" Sasuke snapped, flushing a little. Kakashi nodded and left. The boy stood up and got undressed, slipping into the tub and falling to the floor. He gasped and held his arm, tears burning his eyes. He dropped his head as he heard the room's door open and rushed footsteps grow closer to the tub. His sensei slowly looked in, sighing as he noticed the boy sitting on the tub floor, shivering slightly. He coughed a little, receiving a tired stare, then the boy dropped his head again in embarrassment. His teacher grabbed the shampoo and poured some into his hands. He gently rubbed his student's scalp, knowing the boy was probably screaming at himself on the inside.

"They're out right now. Naruto and Sakura." He said quietly, knowing that was what currently bothered the boy. The teen rubbed his arm, keeping his head down. He felt so weak, and it drove him crazy. Kakashi washed the shampoo from his hair, beginning to lather up the wash cloth from before. Sasuke quivered as he felt the man wash his back, wincing as he felt his scars and bruises rubbed. Kakashi lightened up, handing the boy the cloth after finishing his back, knowing he would be pushing it if he tried washing anything else. The boy accepted it with a relieved face, finishing cleaning himself up. Kakashi leaned out of the tub, waiting patiently. Sasuke turned the water off, pulling his legs against his chest and shaking, dripping wet.

"Towel..." He murmured quietly, voice shaking with his shivering. Kakashi grabbed one from under the sink and draped it over the boy's shoulders. Sasuke wrapped it around him quickly, feeling the rough fabric scratch his skin. His sensei helped him up and walked him out of the bathroom, where he sat down on the edge of the bed. He kept his head down, towel clutched around his thin frame. Kakashi dug around in Naruto's bag, searching for some clothes. He pulled out a pair of grey night shorts, eyeing Sasuke for a second. They'd fit, but barely. He held them out to Sasuke, along with some of Naruto's boxers. The boy eyed the clothes in disgust, turning his head away. Kakashi sighed.

"Would you rather go back home with that towel around-"

"I'm not going back to that shit hole." Sasuke hissed angrily, giving the man a hard stare. His teacher looked back with his own lone grey eye.

"Well, you are. Now get these clothes on. We have a female on the team, and just because you want to sleep naked doesn't mean you can." Kakashi said calmly, throwing the clothes at his student's head. Sasuke looked up with a slight blush, furious at the man. He waited for him to turn around, slipping the clothes on quickly, then drying his hair off. He gripped the shorts as they began to slide down his bony hips, grimacing at his own thin figure. He looked like a sack of bones, excluding his muscles that were barely noticeable unless he was flexing on purpose. His sensei gave him a sad stare, watching the boy look himself over in the mirror and frown. He sucked in and turned to the side, seeing his ribs poke out obviously. He saw Kakashi in the mirror and stopped his examination.

"You've grown..." His teacher smiled, and Sasuke realized the man still didn't have his mask on. He looked over his sensei's face, turning away as he realized he was staring.

"I look like a skeleton..." He murmured in reply, pulling the shorts up over his very prominent pelvis. Kakashi looked away, the sight hurting him somehow. He felt responsible for the boy, seeing he had no parents or family. He was the boy's 'father', in some strange way. At least, that was how he saw it. The boy really did need to gain some weight back. When he'd helped the boy get to the bathroom it'd felt like the child weighed around ninety pounds, _extremely_ underweight for a boy his age and height. Sasuke rubbed his arm tenderly. The pain had ebbed away into a small, annoying throb, like the beginning of a migraine. He noticed the door open, Naruto and Sakura walking in with bags of food. He dropped his head a little, seeing it was soup. He really didn't think that would help his hungry stomach at all. Naruto blinked as he saw Sasuke's clothes, noticing they were his. The blond sighed and set the food down, pulling out the flimsy cups and handing them out. Sakura brought Sasuke one, opening her own and pulling out the dumpling sitting at the bottom.

"Here," she said quietly, dropping it into his own, which he had opened hastily, "If you're still hungry, we have two extra. We have some water bottles in our bags, so just ask for one if you get thirsty and want something cold to drink." The kunoichi smiled sheepishly at him, rubbing his shoulder before walking away to settle in the chair a few feet away. Sasuke smelled the soup and realized it was a simple broth. He sipped at it slowly, letting it sit in his mouth and soak into his tongue. He hadn't had a good tasting meal in months. This was like heaven to the boy. He finished the meal, eating the two warm dumplings and throwing the cup away. Naruto had rolled onto the bed and flipped the television on, now searching every channel for something suitable. Sasuke's black eyes watched it, gagging inwardly at the number of sappy soap operas. He himself didn't watch tv, so when Naruto stopped to watch a show he had no idea what it was. It consisted of a few people, and after every few sentences a group of unseen spectators would laugh. He found this quite annoying, but decided to keep his mouth shut. Kakashi told Sakura she could have the bed to herself. He and the two younger males would make themselves comfortable on the floor. The television was turned off and they began to settle in, Sasuke having to use Kakashi's sleeping bag since he didn't have one. The boy had explained to him that he would be fine without one, but his teacher had pretty much forced him into it. Now, the Uchiha sat curled up inside the warm fabric, head poking out the top and resting on some folded clothes. The boy really didn't want to rest his head on the cold, hard carpet. He looked up at his sensei, who was sitting slumped in the chair with his head tilted back. Naruto lie up towards the door, hands folded under his messy, blond hair. Sasuke stared at him for a while, wondering why the boy had been acting so cold towards him.

Yes, he knew he'd hurt him, betrayed him, and probably tried to kill him, but this wasn't the Naruto he remembered. The boy he knew was forgiving and understanding, able to cope with any situation and any person thrown at him. Yet, here they were. He was back with them, and the boy hadn't spoken to him positively since they had left the base. The Uchiha sighed and closed his eyes for a minute or two, remembering how the tan boy had hugged him. It had felt so strange. He hadn't had a real hug since his parents were around. The thought made his throat constrict a bit, and he forced back the tears that threatened to spill from his eyes. The boy flinched as he saw Naruto roll over onto his stomach, resting his chin on his hands now. Sasuke stared at his rested face, wanting to call out and ask him questions. The blond opened his eyes suddenly, staring at Sasuke intently. The black haired boy tensed and looked away, mentally slapping himself. That was so obvious even a dumb ass like- No. Naruto was smart now. He looked back up after a few minutes, seeing that the other had turned around, feet closest to Sasuke. The teen stared for a while, feeling a bit shunned. Even through all those days with team seven. Through all the times he'd told the blonde to shut up and leave him alone, he'd always found the boy's general kindness towards him to be a relief. It made him happy, in simpler terms. Now that the friendship seemed torn, and Sasuke was back, it felt wrong. He knew it was his fault, that he was the one 'severing the bonds between them', but in the end their bond was one of the most important to him. The Uchiha curled up more, feeling the cold air snap at his skin. Exhaustion began to catch up with him and he drifted off to sleep.

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><p><strong>AN:<strong> Haha, yea, poor Juugo-san. If only I had the time to write a one-shot for a JuuSasu story. Ugh, love that couple, especially since Juugo is such a _dominating_ man. Ugh, I'm getting myself worked up. Lol.

**Reviews are applauded!**

_Nat_


	10. Chapter 10

**AN: **Alright, next chapter is coming up. Lol! Sick Sasuke-kun yaaaay! Oh? Did I just share what's coming up? Anyways, I'm sorry if Naruto is a little OOC. I mean, come on. I like to see the dobe be a bit grown up and all. Much more interesting. LOLOL. Anyways, I apologize if him being all angry and crap is annoying y'all. He'll warm up sooner or later. Do not fret! Also, I am starting to realize how many horrible spelling mistakes I've been making. Then and than have always messed with my head, including affect and effect. I would adore it if someone could clarrify when to use all of those, since obviously this chik is LOST. LOL. Back to business, I am still trying to figure out who to make Sasuke stay with when he returns to Konoha. I mean, that's is where the story is going, and I sadly am COMPLETELY lost. I ADORE fatherly Kakashi, and I am obsessed with brotherly Naruto. Such a hard decision... Maybe.. You guys have opinions? (:

I don't own naruto, or any of it's frigin' awsome characters.

_Chapter Ten (OMG ALREADY?)_

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><p>Naruto opened his eyes slowly, being awakened by grunts and whimpers. The blond lifted his head to look around the room quietly. Kakashi was kneeled next to Sasuke, rubbing his shoulder and whispering things softly. The Uchiha twitched visibly and let out a small cry.<p>

"It's alright, Sasuke..." Naruto's teacher hushed the pale teen. The blond watched in wonder, admiring his sensei as he calmed his teammate.

"O-Orochimaru... Ah!" The boy squeaked and rubbed his curse mark. Naruto presumed he was having a nightmare, and a bad one at that. The tan ninja crawled towards them as it seemed to get worse.

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><p>Sasuke stood before his sensei, breathing heavily as blood leaked out of the wounds on his chest. Orochimaru towered over his shivering form with blazing golden eyes.<p>

"How _dare_ you leave without my permission. How dare you disobey me once again!" Another gash appeared on his hurt body and he screamed weakly.

"You think that just because you're my next body I won't hurt you. That I won't punish you as much as you need to be. If that's what you think, than you're wrong," the knife dragged across his stomach, going deeper than the others, "Horribly wrong, Sasuke. After such a long time you still choose to disobey me. This time, you won't be receiving any mercy from me." Sasuke's eyes widened as his teammates appeared behind the sannin, snakes coiled around their limp bodies. Kakashi grunted as the snakes bit into him and tightened, one circling his neck slowly. The Uchiha struggled to reach him, feeling the chains around him pull back and force him against the wall. One crossed his forehead and pulled the boy's head up. Orochimaru walked towards Kakashi, dragging the kunai across his neck and spilling blood onto the floor. Sasuke watched, feeling his stomach churn as the metallic scent filled his lungs and nausea began to take over. His sensei fell to the floor as the snakes began to consume him slowly. The chained boy tried to close his eyes. He found that he couldn't, nor could he look away as blood spilled from the grey haired man. Naruto cried out for a second as a snake constricted around his neck, coughing and fighting for air.

"N-Naruto!" Sasuke finally yelled, flinching as Sakura screamed painfully. The two fell at his feet, crimson fluid leaking out of their eyes a mouths to pool underneath them. A small river formed and it flowed towards Sasuke, staining his pale skin. The Uchiha flinched as the door across from him, which had appeared out of no where, began to spew blood from its cracks. It collapsed and the room was drenched in red, along with Sasuke. The boy trembled and stared at his hands, chains having vanished, watching the blood drip down his pale skin. The next moment his team's screams filled his head and he shut his black eyes, finally beginning to cry.

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><p>Naruto watched the boy flail and scream, pulling his hair as tears dripped down his face. Kakashi grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him crazily, protective instinct taking over. The Uchiha's eyes snapped open and immediately he thrashed against the hold.<p>

"No! Let me _go_!" The boy ordered and tore away from the man, falling onto his back and gulping in air. Sakura watched, having woken up after the boy's nightmare had caused pained cries to erupt from the thin teen's throat. Naruto stared sadly, wondering what exactly the boy had dreamt to cause him to cry.

"Sasuke... It's alright now. It was just a dream." His sensei whispered, leaning back and giving him some space. Sasuke covered his eyes and rolled over, face burning with shame as he realized he was crying. He shook and whimpered softly, small parts of his dream haunting him. He hadn't had such a horrible dream for quite some time. Lately he'd dreamt of nothing. He would usually find himself standing in a field, everything he saw painted in shades of grey. Then, a storm would come and the surroundings would melt away into simple pools of color. It confused him, but he never dwelt on it for long. This nightmare made him scared, worrying it would come true. Orochimaru would surely try and hunt him down. He shuddered again at the thought of his sensei's yellow eyes piercing him furiously. Sasuke jumped as he felt a hand rub his back in an attempt to calm him down. He turned, sharingan blazing dangerously.

He paused as he met Naruto's blue eyes, his tan face covered in the shadows of the hotel room. The Uchiha's glare became a surprised, yet thankful, look and his red orbs faded to dark grey. The blond didn't slow his touches, forgetting his anger towards his former teammate and replacing it with compassion. Obviously the boy had dreamed something about Orochimaru, and it didn't sound like anything good. He realized that Sasuke _was_, in fact, broken. When they'd found him, he had no doubt he was. Up until the point where he refused to return to Konoha he had thought that. Anger had consumed him. The boy was so fucking selfish. They'd risked their lives, and a year of their time, to rescue him from the twisted snake. Yet he still didn't let them help. He just pushed them away. It burned him up and he had decided not to speak with him until Sasuke got himself back on track. The blond couldn't stand him any other way. But after seeing this, he couldn't help himself. He noticed that his friend didn't push him away. Instead, the boy turned, as if ignoring him. Naruto knew he was, in some way, accepting his soothing touch, just like he had done when Sakura rubbed his watched Sakura crawl out of the bed, bending down so that she crouched like a frog near her three male teammates. She raised her hand and trailed it over Sasuke's neck, sending calming chakra into his tense muscles. He jumped at the touch and grabbed her wrist tightly, looking up at her with wide, scared eyes. Kakashi yanked him off as the pink haired girl winced and inhaled slightly, wrist aching. Sasuke ripped his arm out of his teacher's grasp, wiping his face quickly and trying to keep his nose from running. Naruto stopped his rubbing, watching Sakura worriedly.

"Sasuke-"

"He acted on instincts, Naruto. Don't blame him, blame Orochimaru." Sasuke tensed at the name, giving the jounin a hard stare.

"The only negative thing Orochimaru did was train me slowly..." He snarled, making the female to his left look away in worry. He still wanted to go back, but that shouldn't surprise her. Sasuke had always been stubborn. Also, the pink haired girl had studied up on his clan's history and felt a little more understanding towards the Uchiha. Kakashi sighed at his student's words, deciding to be a bit firmer.

"And that's why you just had a nightmare about him?" The boy flinched at this, eyes activating once again. He fucking _hated_ it when the man acted like a know-it-all. Naruto glared at him, knowing he couldn't talk himself out of this. The Uchiha was silent for a while, deciding to just pin his sensei with his burning red eyes. The man stared back lazily, patiently waiting for the child to react and accept his words.

"You don't know what I dream of. Don't act like I'm still your student, Kakashi."

"You said his name in your sleep, stubborn bastard. Why don't you just admit that you need help!" Naruto snapped and leaned forward more. Sasuke twitched and shrugged away from the blond, still on his back looking up at them all. He grabbed his grey shorts and held the waistband, shakily getting to his feet and stumbling away from them. Sakura watched him lean against the wall, holding his gut painfully. She stood, slowly walking to his side.

"Sasuke-kun, what hurts?" The girl asked sternly, green eyes full of concern. The thin boy opened one eye to look at her weakly. The minute he had stood up a wave of nausea had hit him like a freight train. The Uchiha jerked a little and covered his mouth, letting his shorts expose his bony hips. Sakura blinked and put an arm around him, seeing him grow a shade lighter. Kakashi got up and walked Sasuke to the bathroom, where the teen vomited sickly into the toilet. He spit afterwards, beginning to sweat. He felt horribly weak. His sensei rubbed his hot back, turning away and giving the boy some dignity. The Uchiha gagged once more, emptying his stomach and panting into the bowl. Naruto squinted his eyes at his friends retching, but staying put on the floor. Sasuke flushed the toilet and leaned back against the wall, still feeling dizzy. The jounin placed a hand on his forehead, touching the boy's burning skin. He picked Sasuke up and carried him back into the bedroom, the boy struggling against him. He was set on the bed, where he felt his stomach flip again. He fell back onto the springy mattress, holding his head and grunting slightly.

"I think he has a fever. Do you think he's sick with something?" Sakura crawled up towards Sasuke's head, looking him over and also feeling his forehead. The Uchiha groaned and rubbed his gut.

"Your stomach hurts?" The girl asked, seeing his hand trail over his middle and clutch it. Sasuke gave a quick nod, angry that he felt so sick. More specifically, his stomach felt like an empty canyon, and it ate away at his strength. The Uchiha flinched as Sakura's glowing green hand hovered above his stomach, feeling yet another nausea spell fall over him. The pink haired ninja took her hand back and sighed.

"His body is just fighting off a small bug. His immune system seems to be weakened by something. Maybe his curse mark?"

"Maybe so. Tsuande-sama will be able to tell once we reach Konoha." Sasuke growled at this sentence, slamming a fist onto the bed quickly in an act of refusal. Naruto gave him a quick stare, then returned to looking at his sensei expectingly.

"Do you know what he is sick with? Can you heal him?"

"No," Sakura sighed regretfully, "I'm sorry, but I don't. It doesn't seem to be threatening, though. If we watch him he'll be fine." She diagnosed with a small smile, looking over the boy. He shivered, suddenly feeling cold. He didn't understand. He never got sick. He'd only gotten the flu once when he was six and he'd became extremely sick. His mother had been so scared. The boy let his mid dwell on her, remembering every night she lied in bed with him and brushed her fingers through his hair. She would sing to him, something she enjoyed to do while cleaning the house.

Sasuke rolled onto his side and retched, spitting up on the mattress and groaning shakily. Sakura crawled next to him and rubbed his back, hand lowing green once again. Naruto watched carefully, feeling tired. He turned and walked back to his sleeping bag. His sensei watched him go, the. Advised Sakura to get some sleep. She nodded and got comfortable on the floor next to Naruto's area. Kakashi sat on the edge of the bed, looking at Sasuke when the boy coughed. The Uchiha was looking at him angrily.

"F-For the last _fucking_ time...," he paused and gritted his teeth, "I'm not going... back with you idiots.."

"Hush and get some sleep, Sasuke. And I don't want to hear you talk like that again. You are going back with us, so stop saying you aren't." Kakashi snarled, finally through with Sasuke's bratty attitude. The Uchiha grunted and flinched, shutting his mouth and glaring at him. His sensei sighed, collecting himself. He usually didn't explode like that. Most of the time the jounin would let his black haired student's complaints roll right off of him, but this was enough. He wasn't going to listen to that all the way back. Sasuke whined and shivered, feeling very cold now. His sensei noticed, remembering that it was fairly cold in their room. Of course, it was Fall. The temperature was beginning to grow lower and lower, and tonight he guessed it was reaching a new low. The man also realized that the air conditioner was on, blowing directly onto the springy bed.

He gently scooped up the boy and held him against his chest, closing his visible eye. Sasuke grunted and struggled slightly, giving up a second later as his stomach flipped. Kakashi felt the boy give in and he sighed heavily, rubbing his shoulder. He'd missed the boy terribly. He'd never had a son before, nor a daughter for that matter. Marriage and children had never been big for him, growing up in a dysfunctional home. He hated his father and worried he would turn out that way. He had almost rejoiced when the Hokage had informed him that Sasuke would be his student. The boy was like the kid he never wanted, but always dreamed of having. It was his chance to try out the father role he had been so scared of. He felt Sasuke lean into him, having fallen asleep against him. His sensei looked down and opened his eye, smiling a little. He decided to get some rest himself, closing his eyes and nodding off.

* * *

><p>Sakura sat up and rubbed her eyes, feeling gross. She stood up and walked towards the bathroom, tank top clinging to her thin frame. She smiled at her sensei, seeing Sasuke sleeping against him peacefully. The female made sure not to wake the boy up as she headed towards the bathroom. Her body craved a bath. Sasuke cracked his eyes open as she shut the bathroom door, having become a light sleeper while living with Orochimaru and Kabuto. He didn't move, hearing the shower turn on and Sakura begin to hum. He listened quietly, enjoying his teammates soft, muffled singing. Once again, his mother came to mind and his chest felt tight. He closed his eyes and relaxed, clearing his mind forcefully. The water shut off about fifteen minutes later and the humming stopped. Sakura appeared with a towel clutched around her, making Sasuke's heart beat uneasily for a few seconds. The Uchiha cracked his eyes open and watched her, thankful that the room was too dark to see his face become a bit red. The pink haired girl looked around the room, making sure her team was asleep still, then crouching and looking quietly through her backpack. Sasuke gulped silently as she stood and walked back out of sight, cursing a little.<p>

The boy paused. He was talking about _Sakura_ here. What in the world was wrong with him? He'd never found the girl very attractive. Yes, she was pretty, but her clingy attitude was a turn off for Sasuke. He'd noticed, though, that she along with everyone else had matured. Sakura wasn't his little fangirl anymore. She was older and more grown-up looking. He'd realized this the minute he'd seen her again. The girl reappeared, wearing a pink shirt with white shorts. Sasuke watched her rummage around a few more seconds and pull out a book, crossing the room and exiting his line of sight. He heard her sigh and a couple of shuffling noises, presuming she was settling in once again. Sasuke sighed and decided to wait for the others to wake up, unable to sleep again. The Uchiha noticed that his stomach didn't feel quite as aggravated, though it was empty. Hours passed and the room slowly became brighter, sun rising and beaming through the grimy windows. He soon felt Kakashi move around and he pushed off of him, refusing to meet the man's eyes. He was still angry he'd slept in his arms like a scared child.

"Sasuke, you feeling any better? You slept very well." He asked the younger male, who gave a quick and simple nod in reply. The man smiled and got off the bed, walking towards Naruto and nudging his side. The blond looked up with half lidded eyes, grunting a few inaudible words.

"Come on, we're leaving. Get ready."

"Fine, fine... I'm up." The tan ninja grumbled and started rolling up his sleeping bag and changing into better clothes. Kakashi asked him if he had anymore clothes for Sasuke, but shook his head no.

"All I have is my pajama shirt, but that's big on _me_. It's gonna' be huge on Sasuke." The Uchiha sent him a sharp glare at the comment, pulling his shorts up and trying to make his stomach hang out more. He failed miserably. Kakashi took the shirt from him and walked to the pale boy, pulling the shirt over his head since the boy's arm was still hurting him. Naruto was right, the white shirt swallowed him. Sasuke lifted his arm a little, seeing the sleeves fall all the way down to his elbows. He grimaced and glared at Kakashi.

"Sorry, Sasuke. We don't have anymore money on us. This will have to do until we reach Konoha."

"I don't have any shoes. What am I supposed to walk in?" Sasuke pointed out, glare intensifying. He wouldn't be caught dead wearing such ugly clothes. Then again, he'd worn Orochimaru's disgusting uniform for almost a year without saying a single word.

"Can you walk at all is the question." Kakashi said and stepped back, waiting for Sasuke to rise to his feet.

"Of course I can walk!..." The Uchiha snapped and pushed up with his left arm, wincing and swaying a little. It was true. He still felt extremely weak. His sensei watched him struggle for a few minutes, then gently pushed him back onto the bed. The boy rubbed his mark and glared at the floor, embarrassed.

"I'll get him, sensei. Don't worry." Naruto said in an annoyed voice. Walking over and crouching in front of Sasuke. The Uchiha turned his nose up at the helpful action and glared at the blond's back. The other boy turned to give him a bored look.

"Get on my back, Sasuke. Is that too complicated for you? Do you need me to put it in simpler words?" He pestered his friend, who snarled and inched his way onto Naruto's back. He tightened his grip around his neck as he stood up easily.

"Sakura? I'm sorry, but can you get my bag for me?"

"Of course I can. It's no problem at all, don't be sorry." The female said pleasantly and picked up his backpack. Kakashi walked out and held the door open for his three students, closing it behind them and heading out after returning the key to the front desk. Sasuke glared over Naruto's shoulder, angry with the small team he was bound to. He cursed and shuffled a little, feeling the blond's hands begin to grip under his legs uncomfortably. His carrier pushed him up, making Sasuke grunt in surprise and clutch him. The tan boy chuckled at his reaction and did it again.

"Cut it out, dobe..."

"Don't get on my bad side, teme. You're the one helpless here. You wanna' sit on the road till someone decides to help you?"

"Hush up you two. I'm not going to listen to you fight this entire trip." Kakashi ordered firmly, making the two boys growl and shut their mouths. Sasuke felt the boy bounce him again, and he tightened his grip around his throat.

"Gah! Teme! Stop choking me, dammit!"

"Stop jerking me around then!" The teens yelled at each other, making Sakura and Kakashi drop their heads in annoyance. This was going to be a long trip.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: <strong>Alright! There you have it. I am SO happy I've reached 30,000 words. x3 Idk, it's just exciting for me! Tee hee! So, I've begun to think up yet ANOTHER story, but I cannot part with Revelations just yet. In a similar topic, I have no clue when this story will come to an official end. The main plot is how I wished Naruto (the show) had ended up. Though, I have been neglecting the manga for quite some time, now, so I'm not sure exactly what new characters are evil and such. The last thing I remember is seeing Naruto looking like a Pikachu LOLOLOL. And so, I do not know what is correct in the series now. I was thinking of adding some big action, such as a death, kidnapping, tragic turn of events, and so on. But, I do not want to mess with the flow of things. YES, many questions. I know, you're all like, "YOU'RE THE AUTHOR! STEWPID!" Lol. Yes, I understand you're aggravation, but please do forgive me. I am really trying to do my best with this story. (:

**Reviews are ADORED!**

_-Nat_


	11. Chapter 11

**AN: **Hey hey HEEYYY! Lol, yea, took a while to update... So sorry! I'm still deciding what to update next and all. I'm having a really hard time with my other story, so yes. If you are a fan of both this one and that one, I owe you a huge apology! Please give me some time.~

I do not own Naruto.

_ Chapter Eleven_

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><p>Sasuke grunted and opened his eyes, blinded by the sun for a moment or two. He let out a deep groan and noticed his cheek pressed into something warm and soft.<p>

"Finally awake, eh teme?" Naruto snickered and turned his head to face the other on his back as best he could. The Uchiha lifted his head up and blinked a little, dazed slightly. All he remembered was screaming his head off at Naruto, then darkness.

_'I... passed out from yelling?..'_ He thought and grunted a little, dropping his head again. It was just so warm outside. His body was still so used to the cold darkness of Orochimaru's hideout. This felt like a slice of heaven to him. The boy closed his eyes and adjusted his arms around the blond's neck, but tensed as he was reminded his old teammate was _carrying_ him.

"Put me down..." Sasuke snarled under his breath and into Naruto's ear, which was easily within reach. He watched Kakashi sigh and give him a sharp glare.

"Not that again," he muttered and dropped his head, "You were a lot better when you were asleep-"

"_You_ shut up," the Uchiha ordered, "And _you_ put me down!" The boy finished, inhaling a bit as the grasp under his legs went slack and he fell to earth. The thin boy grabbed his shorts before they slid down his hips and gasped as he fell on his rear, squeezing his eyes shut in pain.

"There. You're down." The blond said and rolled his eyes at his friend's pathetic attempts to get back up. Sasuke snarled and got to his hands and knees. Why was he still so weak?

"Why..." He tried to choke out, flinching as he felt the grey bottoms begin to fall and he snatched his waistband quickly. The shirt's neck hole slipped over his left, bony shoulder and he tried getting it back to normal. Kakashi grimaced at the sight. He was so thin it almost made him sick to his stomach. Orochimaru must have kept him training till the child dropped dead, then allowed him to eat. Sakura was also looking over the gastly sight.

"Maybe... We should eat somewhere?" She stuttered through shaky lips, making Sasuke turn to look at her. Flashes of her wrapped in a towel, dripping wet, returned to him and he looked away quickly. Naruto sighed heavily and scooped the boy up into his arms, turning to his sensei and smiling brightly.

"We should-!... Wait, sensei, we don't have any money..." Kakashi blinked and sighed, seeing Sakura look down and twiddle her fingers together. Sasuke pounded on the blond's chest, bearing his teeth with frustration.

"Cut it out, teme. You hit like a ten year old boy." Sasuke flinched and flushed a bit, sharingan activating for a second. The tan boy gave him a hard glare and cocked an eyebrow as the other's eyes faded back to black, leaving Sasuke panting tiredly. His punching became weak slapping, fist relaxing and becoming an open hand. Sakura wondered if the curse mark was sucking his chakra out, or something of the sort. Either way, the Uchiha was unusually weak. The jounin to her right looked up and down the road with his lone, grey eye.

"Come on, you two. We need to get back to the village," he said and began walking away, "And we need to get Sasuke checked. He doesn't look good at all." The boy glared heatedly at him with dim eyes, anger almost seeping from them. He was really despising the idea of returning to Konoha. He was still weak in comparison to Orochimaru. Even Kabuto still held some sort of authority over him. Not only because he was the snake's lapdog, but because he had an unknown source of strength Sasuke still hadn't found out. He returned to reality as Naruto sneezed onto him, making him cover his face.

"What the hell, dobe!"

"Ugh... Excuse me." The boy sniffled and smiled down at him brightly. Sakura giggled at the two boys as they squabbled until Sasuke simply exhausted himself and went limp in the other's arms.

They walked, and walked, and walked. Sasuke grumbled a few more times throughout the day, complaining about multiple things and obviously trying to make the trip harder than it already was. Kakashi decided that they would sit down in a restaurant and catch their breath. The only thing close enough to what they were looking for was a small bar a little ways down the road. Naruto read the blinking sign out front. There was an outline of a woman kicking her leg out next to the bar's name, which made Sakura grimace.

"Not exactly what we were looking for, but it'll have to do," the grey haired man told his student's, seeing their hesitation, even if Sasuke's face was carefully masked, "Just stay close to me." They headed towards the building, Sasuke being shuffled around slightly to a better position. He wasn't exactly fazed by this environment, sadly having dealt with things of the sort under his old sensei's teachings. He remembered it clearly as one of the most surprising moments in his life. He had finished training for the day and was heading back to his room as usual. As he walked in, he'd immediately noticed the other presence. It had been a female, lying unconscious on his bed with hardly anything on. He had simply stood there, too shocked to move. His sensei had then chosen to appear behind him, laughing at his innocent reaction.

"Sasuke-kun," he had hissed in that overly calm voice, "She is yours. We found her in an assassination mission, and I thought she'd please you wonderfully. Does she not, or are you just too excited to speak?" That laugh had grated the Uchiha's ears and embarrassed him to no end. The boy hadn't replied to his sensei, mind simply shutting down. It, sadly, had gotten his hormones in a frenzy and tied his tongue in a knot. Orochimaru had then pushed him towards the unconscious girl, making Sasuke stumble and catch himself before completely falling onto his bed. The snake had left after that, locking the door from the outside, like always. The boy had looked over the girl with wide eyes, still trying to comprehend what was happening. The red haired girl had been shivering terribly since he'd laid eyes on her, and he had slipped his shirt off and given it to her. Orochimaru had been slightly angered with his reaction towards the 'gift', and taken the girl away the next morning with an annoyed glint in his eyes. Sasuke shuddered at the memory. He was starting to realize just how many twisted tests he'd be forced to go through, but remembered the present as him and the others entered the bar. It was dimly lit and five burly men sat at the counter. Kakashi looked at them for a second and continued towards a booth. Sakura sat next to him, a bit nervous in this environment. Naruto sat down on her other side and plopped Sasuke on the end with a thud. The Uchiha leaned onto the table, pulling the shirt back over his shoulder. Kakashi leaned back and crossed his arms, pulling out his book an diving into it without a sound. The blond two spots away from him sighed and, following his teammate's example, flopped over the table top. The four of them flinched as a man walked over with two other smaller companions, a large frown on his face.

"Ninja from the Leaf Village? What do you think you're doin' here?" The one farthest to the left growled, toothpick migrating to the other side of his mouth and being chewed on unconsciously. The grey haired jounin at the table set his book down and looked them over.

"Just passing through. What is it that you need?" He replied smoothly, eyeing Sasuke as the boy shuffled uncomfortably. Something was definitely bothering him. One of the men snickered and looked at him with a glint in his eyes.

"Your boy seems a little jumpy. You sure you aren't hiding something from us?..."

"Cut the crap, Genji. We know what you're all up to," the middle man hissed and slammed his hand down on the table, making Naruto and Sasuke rattle as it shook under the force, "We see you have a missing nin with you, and we heard turning in criminals brings in quite a sum of money." Sasuke glared heatedly at them, wishing he could pin them with his sharingan. Sakura flinched, surprised that they knew Sasuke's face. Genji, the man nearest Kakashi, drew a sword out from behind him.

"How dare you allow that scum to show his face here, in _our_ village, after what he did! Konoha lowlifes need to stay where they belong instead of dragging their useless asses where they don't!" He barked at them angrily, katana glinting in the dim light. Sasuke didn't move as the man near him slammed his own fist down before the boy, glaring at the Uchiha with bright, green eyes. The boy simply stared forward, not wanting to start anything here. Of course, if he had his chakra that opinion would be completely different.

"Look, we don't want any trouble. We're bringing him back under the Hokage's orders, where he will be punished for his crimes." The black haired boy gave him a worried glance, mouth opening a tad. So _that_ was the plan. No. He would not go through with this. He moved his injured arm under the table and into his lap, other still propped on the table top. Genji pointed his weapon at him, gritting his teeth.

"If that's your plan, why not finish him off right here and now? We all have a good idea of what this punk deserves." The man chuckled, but gasped as the Uchiha launched forward and flipped the katana out of his hands and into his own. Kakashi narrowed his eyes and gave Naruto a stern look. The blond nodded his head and snatched up Sasuke's broken wrist, causing the boy to grunt and drop his weapon to the floor.

"N-Naru-"

"Shut up. What in the world do you think you're doing," the other growled in his ear, grip tightening and making the Uchiha squeeze his eyes shut, "We don't want to fight anyone. Unlike you, we have allies to keep up with and this village is one of them." Genji shakily picked his weapon back up, seeing the boy released from the other's fierce grip. He dropped his head and rubbed his wrist tenderly.

"Fucking brat! How dare you!" The tall male yelled and shook his fist warningly. Sasuke just watched him with furious eyes, but returned to looking down as Naruto jabbed him in the side. The burly man crossed his arms and looked Kakashi over with a questioning gaze.

"If that is so, we'll be waiting to hear of his execution." With that, and one final taunting glare at the thin boy, the three returned to their original seats. Kakashi sighed and glared at Sasuke. The boy looked at him dangerously.

"If you think I'm going to allow your _bitch_ of a Hokage punish me you're completely wrong..." The boy growled behind gritted teeth, stomach grumbling a little. Sakura looked at him worriedly as he rubbed his flat middle.

"Sensei, do we have any money at all? He really needs to get something in his stomach."

"No. Just-" Sasuke stopped as his belly roared once again and he looked away from the three. Naruto sighed and dug around in his pockets, seeing one last time if he had any money at all. His fingers touched something paper like, and a few cold coins. Yes. He was wearing his house pants, which he _always_ carried some extra ramen money in. He emptied his pockets onto the table and counted. Sasuke turned to give the money a relieved look. Though he was not going to say anything, he was starving.

"You don't have to spend anything on me..."

"Oh, trust me, Sasuke. I _know_ that." The blond snickered and gave him a teasing look, making the Uchiha snort in annoyance and cover his stomach again. Sakura rolled her eyes at the pale boy's stubbornness. Yep, back to normal.

* * *

><p>Orochimaru stood over the corpse, golden eyes glowing in the dark room. Kabuto stood behind him in silence, knowing better then to speak at this time. That'd surely get himself killed.<p>

"How could this happen." The pale sannin's voice reached the medic's ears, making him straighten himself up and fist his hands.

"It seems as though his old team was here," the younger man replied, looking at Juugo's flattened and twisted gut, "That's definitely the work of the infamous rasengan." Orochimaru's chakra grew dramatically, announcing his furious anger to anyone around him. The grey haired man shivered and found himself to be shivering madly.

"Kabuto...," the snake hissed out, "The curse seal- Sasuke's curse seal. You made it unstable, didn't you?" He ordered and turned on his heel to stand before his right hand man. Kabuto nodded quickly in reply, tensing at the heated stare being shot at him.

"Y-Yes, Lord Orochimaru." He stuttered out through shaky lips, seeing the pale ninja's own curl up into a sinister smile. A deep chuckle rumbled forth from his throat and he nodded back at his medic.

"Then we should be able to track him down with some help from her. You know where she is, right Kabu-san?" Orochimaru smiled and patted the younger ninja's cheek. Kabuto jumped at the sudden touch, being brought out of his shocked stare and focussing back on the sannin. The snake turned and walked into the shadows surrounding them, one last velvety laugh emitting from him. Kabuto dropped his head as he felt the man leave, letting out a sigh of relief and turning himself around to go find the female his lord was asking for.

* * *

><p>Sasuke pounced on the meal set before him, feeling slightly bad for using up their last bit of money. He paused a moment. Him? Feeling bad for someone else? No. Preposterous. Sakura noticed the boy stop eating and glare at his almost empty plate.<p>

"Sasuke-kun?... Everything alright?" She asked, mentally slapping herself for using the suffix once again. She really needed to quit that annoying habit. The Uchiha jumped slightly at her voice, black eyes rolling to give her a empty stare. Kakashi had also noticed his student's sudden halting and was, along with his female comrade, wondering what was the matter. Sasuke looked at her for a while, then returned to glaring at his plate.

"I... I don't intend on being executed..." He growled through gritted teeth, fisting his good arm on the table top. Naruto looked at him with an emotionless stare. Was the boy, somehow, saying he feared death? Kakashi sighed and crossed his arms.

"We aren't either, Sasuke. But, all actions have a _re_action. Hokage-sama will choose your punishment as she sees fit. We will try our best to persuade her though." The Uchiha let his bangs fall into his face. His gut was in a knot now, knowing Tsunade's would surely give him the death penalty. The things Orochimaru had forced him to do- No. He'd done them willingly, blinded with the power offered to him. The innocent people he had slaughtered. He deserved death. Sakura watched as the boy had an inward conversation, face twisting into pain and anger.

"Everything will work out, Sasuke," she whispered helpfully, giving him a soft smile, " Trust us." The boy lifted his head back up to eye her weakly. Seeing as to how he didn't want to dwell on his fate or Orochimaru's furious voice, he decided to take the female's advise.

* * *

><p>Black and white. Everything was black and white around him. The trees, the grass, the <em>bodies<em>. Corpses. Hundreds of thousands of them, all stacked before him in some grotesque mockery of a wall. Sasuke looked up with watery eyes, seeing a small girl at the top. She had pink ribbons in her hair that held her ponytails in place, big blue eyes leaking over her flushed cheeks. Sasuke watched her and began taking a few shaky steps back. The child screamed horribly and fell face forward, soaring to the ground and landing with a sickening crack. The Uchiha shuddered as the child's head split open and blood spilled over the earth. He heard laughter above and raised his head again. He saw himself now standing where the child had once been, eyes blazing with the sharingan. Sasuke froze and began to tremble, seeing the bodies begin to fall towards him. The wall was collapsing and sending corpses down like rain. The boy crouched on the ground and covered his head, shaking and waiting to be crushed. It never came and he looked up, freezing and widening his eyes. The people stood around him, rotting and looking at him with hollow eyes.

"_Murderer!_" One screeched out and lifted a bloody hand to point at him accusingly.

"_Filthy, disgusting, backstabbing **murderer!**_" She continued, stumbling towards him and continuing to point him out with a long, yellow fingernail. The rest began to mutter, pointing at him as well and calling out vicious names. The boy backed up, but found himself to be surrounded. He covered his ears in an attempt to shut out the monotone voices that began to fill his head. They grew louder, growing in confidence and starting to close in. They reached out to grab him and Sasuke once again curled up on the ground, screaming out desperately. His body felt shaking and immediately he thought it was the horrific bodies, letting out another fear laced cry.

"_Punishment! Punishment for his sins!_" The voices chanted, and Sasuke felt his heart pound in his chest. Fear gripped him and the tears began to fall.

Naruto shook the boy by the shoulders crazily, worried sick. He stopped as the boy finally opened his eyes, staring up at the starry sky above. A thin blanket covered him up to his neck, legs uncovered up to his shins. He trembled and gulped loudly. He'd never felt such fear. It was up close to seeing Itachi's sharingan, even. Chills rattled up his spine and made him clutch the blanket in a death grip.

"Sasuke? You alright?" Naruto whispered softly, having woken up from the boy's shuffling. The Uchiha was, to say the least, horrified. At least that was the look plastered onto his usual calm features. The boy shook his head and gulped in air, still staring into the sky with clouded, black orbs. The blond crawled towards him and sat down in the grass, looking over the frightened boy. Sasuke jumped as he felt a hand brush his arm.

"Hey... I'm... sorry I haven't been treating you very well." The tan ninja began. The thin boy looked at him in confusion. Was he forgiving him?

"N-Narut-to?" He choked out, but all he managed to do was whisper quietly. His nightmare still had him a bit paralyzed. It'd felt so real, like something that would happen. The voices came back to him, filling his head with cruel words. He fisted his hands in his hair and pulled painfully. Naruto saw him and leaned forward, wondering what to do.

"S-Sasuke! What's wrong?" He gasped worriedly, seeing his friend grit his teeth in anger. His dream, perhaps?

"Sakura-chan," the boy called to his pink haired comrade, "Sakura-chan, please!" He pleaded and rubbed Sasuke's arm comfortingly. The boy let out a whimper of fear, shaking and curling up into a ball on his side. Now he remembered his sensei's words. Punishment. He would receive punishment back in Konoha. All those people in his dream- the people he had murdered under Orochimaru's tempting command. He couldn't go through with that. He _couldn't_ die. Not yet, at least. The boy felt a wave of adrenaline pump through his tired muscles and he launched to his feet.

"Sasuke! What's wrong with you!" The blond yelled at him, finally getting Kakashi's attention. The man had been quietly listening to the two boy's conversation, now jumping in since things had changed. He sprinted after the Uchiha, who was running towards the tree line. The boy was still gripped by fear, he supposed. Sasuke panted heavily. He had to get away and back to Orochimaru. He'd be punished severely if he didn't go back. Another shiver rattled up his spine and he lost his footing, leaning into a tree and sliding to the ground weakly. Having been running on fumes, his body now ached with the sudden pressure on it and punished him for using it so roughly. Kakashi approached the Uchiha cautiously.

"Sasuke? What's gotten into you?" He asked calmly, crouching beside him and placing a rough hand on his shoulder. The child gave him and exhausted look, then flinched as his curse mark burned. A chuckle sounded in his head and he doubled over into the cool grass.

_'Sasuke-kun... What have you gotten yourself into?'_ He heard the snake's voice hissed to him. He clutched his mark and gasped. Orochimaru? Here? No, it couldn't be. He couldn't be close by.

_'Such a stubborn Uchiha runt.. I thought I taught you better, Sasuke...'_

"O-O-Orochimaru?" The boy choked out painfully, mark throbbing horribly. Kakashi flinched at the name escaping the child's quivering lips and quickly carried him back to their small campsite. Sakura and Naruto sat patiently for him, watching him as he set Sasuke down in an open area. The man began to form hand seals, then, like he had back at Orochimaru's base, sliced his hand open. He had put off sealing the Uchiha's curse mark, but now it was evident that he had to. He quickly drew the seals over his student's thin body. He had to pull his shirt off when the grey haired man came to his chest, shivering at the cool breeze. After a few minutes, the seals were in place, along with everything else needed to perform the jutsu. Sasuke choked as pain began to fill him up, the snake's voice echoing in his head. Kakashi ordered his other two students back, forming another long line of signs and finally smashing his palm down on the boy's disgusting mark. Agony. Burning, white-hot pain was erupting from the touch. His muscles became unresponsive, excluding his throat, which erupted screams into the night air. Sasuke had almost forgotten how painful the sealing had been the first time. It felt as if fiery nails were being hammered into his soft, vulnerable shoulder. Kakashi kept steady. If he moved the jutsu would fail, and Orochimaru would surely unleash the curse seal over the Uchiha's weak body. The bloodied marks vanished into the mark, spinning around it and becoming a deep, black barrier. He lifted his hand after they stopped, allowing Sasuke to fall forward into the grass.

_'I'm still here, Sasuke-kun... Punishment will come, sooner or later...'_ The boy heard before passing out with a heavy sigh.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: <strong>Lol! I apologize if it is not perfect! I did really like Sasuke's nightmare. I've had one like it before, except I wasn't, like, being accused and all. Lol. I don't kill people, as far as all of you know. ;D ANYWAAAYS..

**Reviews are oh so adored!**

_Nat_


	12. Chapter 12

**AN: **Lol, I apologize a million times over for making you all wait SO long... Anyways, I'm still pushing on. No worries.

I don't own Naruto.

_Chapter Twelve_

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><p>Sasuke once again woke to the warm sun beating down on his back. This time, though, he couldn't open his eyes. He was even weaker than the days before. The Uchiha let out a soft moan, trying to get his team's attention. Naruto turned a bit to look at him.<p>

"You awake?" He whispered softly and watched his friend's face. The Uchiha struggled to make a noise, managing to furrow his eyebrows a bit. The thin boy grunted once again weakly, lips parting slightly. Naruto sighed and looked back around, making the other scream inwardly.

"Is he awake?" Sakura asked quietly, receiving a no from her blond friend. Sasuke tried to lift his head and felt shooting pain erupt from his curse mark. He inhaled and gritted his teeth as tears threatened to spill. His carrier stopped and placed him down gently.

"Sasuke? Is it your mark again?"

_'Again?... I... It's been hurting?...'_ He thought tiredly, falling forward bonelessly as the pain intensified. He didn't even care that he had collapsed against the blond. Naruto rubbed his back and heard his two other teammates run over quickly.

"Sasuke?" Sakura whispered and placed a hand on his oversized, white shirt, rubbing small circles into his warm back. Sasuke coughed weakly, forehead still pressed against Naruto's black shirt. The blond gave his sensei a nervous look.

"Sensei?" He asked the jounin, who looked over his student's curse mark seriously. It didn't _look_ active, but then again the mark was very tricky to read. Orochimaru had made sure of that. The silver haired man shook his head in silence.

"Sealings are particularly painful. The first time he passed out for a few days and still had to deal with the agony of it after he woke up. It's probably just stinging." He explained, standing back up and looking up the road. He advised his students that they should get going and Naruto once again picked Sasuke up. They continued till the sun was setting, stopping at the last village before they arrived back in Konoha. The streets were fairly empty, excluding a few stray dogs fighting and rolling about in the dark alleys. Sakura jumped as one ran up to her, panting heavily and looking up at her with big, brown eyes. She grimaced at its mangy pelt. Half of it was gone and its skin was red and raw.

'Poor thing...' She thought, catching up with her team and turning back to give the canine a final look. It was already gone, scratchy barks emitting from down the shadowed street. The pink haired girl turned back to her blond teammate, emerald orbs landing on Sasuke's limp form. His breathing was labored.

"Naruto? Is he sounding any better then this afternoon?" She asked quietly. She looked around the shops lining the desolate streets. None appeared to be open. The tan boy shook his head slowly.

"Not at all. Although, I haven't heard him make much noise lately so I'm not really sure... Sensei? Does it look like there is a place to stay here?" He asked Kakashi, who didn't reply immediately. The jounin scratched his head thoughtfully. They had stopped here no more than a week ago and it had been bustling then. Where had everyone gone?

"Kakashi-sensei? This place looks abandoned... Are you sure we headed in the right direction?"

"Yes. Positive. We shouldn't worry. Look, see the hotel up ahead," he pointed out the unlit sign a few shops before them, "We can stay there." Naruto cocked his head to the side questioningly. Sakura eyed the building with nervous eyes.

"It... doesn't seem open, Sensei." She whispered as they approached the front doors, slipping inside and freezing as the three healthy ninja spotted the men inside. They turned their heads, smoke exiting some of their mouths. Kakashi motioned his students to get behind them, waving to the men with a small grin.

"I'm guessing this isn't open, is it? I apologize for intru-"

"Eh, don't worry 'bout it. We have spare rooms. You can use one for free if ya' like." A bald one chuckled, taking a sip of his drink and looking them all over. Sasuke coughed weakly, bangs covering most of his face. The men eyed the Uchiha curiously.

"Your boy a'right?" Another asked and stood to his feet. Naruto adjusted the Uchiha, grip becoming firmer.

"Oh, he'll be fine. Just a bug he picked up." Kakashi interjected before Naruto had time to answer, stepping in front of the blond and covering Sasuke's face. If the men yesterday could recognize the child then these could too, probably. The men looked him over curiously.

"We have a few rooms open. You could use them for tonight if you'd like." A blond man said, flinching as he caught glimpse of the Uchiha's face. Sakura chewed on her bottom lip anxiously. Would these guys hurt them just to get her teammate? Of course, he was a missing nin.

"Hey...," the blond said and rose to his feet, "That boy. Is that Uchiha Sasuke?" A few other men whispered to each other, faces becoming emotionless. Kakashi nodded after a second and stood aside Naruto.

"Lady Hokage sent our team on a highly secret mission to retrieve him and bring him back for punishment." Sasuke's ebony eyes opened at the words, heart beating uneasily.

_'Are we already in Konoha?... Are... Are they about to question me?'_ He thought weakly, dropping his head against Naruto's shoulder tiredly. His mark stung slightly but was easily ignored. His teammate shuffled him around uneasily. Another ninja appeared, silver hair swept behind his ears. He froze as he saw them, glass falling to the floor and shattering into pieces. The others jumped at the noise.

"_Him_!" He snarled and began making his way towards Naruto, who backed up slightly as the bulky man neared him. Kakashi tensed and blocked his students.

"Now, no need to get violent-"

"That filth!... He... He killed my daughter! I'll rip him to shreds!" The silver haired man roared, charging and knocking Naruto back into the wooden door. He gasped and dropped Sasuke, who fell to the floor with a thud. The boy was immediately picked up by the front of his shirt. Sakura trembled fearfully, legs quivering under her, suddenly, immense weight. Naruto rubbed his skull and moaned, vision a bit blurry from the impact.

"Did you even care that she was a child! Did you even look at her face!" The man yelled in the Uchiha's pale face, receiving a few weak groans from the boy.

"Sir! There is no need for violence! Just put him down and we will deliver him to Lady Hokage. She will decide what he deserves as punishment."

"Fuck the Hokage! This brat took my daughter from me!...," he nailed Sasuke across the face, watching him stumble and crumple to his hands and knees, "Not so tough anymore, eh? Or did sucking the monster's dick make you dumb and mute?" The man roared ferociously. The pale boy dropped his head tiredly. His foggy mind couldn't tell his mouth to form words, so he could only sit and pant as the older male threw vile insults at him.

"Nothing to say? You disgusting bastard, how dare you-"

"Leave him alone!" Naruto screamed and grabbed the man's wrist, "He wasn't in his right mind then!" Sakura stayed silent, trying to understand what the man was saying. Sasuke had killed a child? How many people _had_ he murdered since Orochimaru had gotten to him? Kakashi once again tried to reason with the man, gasping as he lunged at Sasuke and tackled him to the floor.

"You took her from me!... You!..." He wrapped his hands around the child's thin neck, ripping a few strangled cries from the boy. Kakashi and another man restrained him quickly. Sasuke lied on his back, head falling to the side as he took in weak breaths. Sakura and Naruto ran to him quickly.

"Bastard! Sick.. filthy _bastard_!" The man screamed at him as he was walked back into a room, tears streaming down his face. Naruto pulled Sasuke up gently, watching as his friend blinked slowly.

"I-I..." He choked out, a fresh bruise plastering over his pale cheek. Kakashi appeared once again, nodding to the men and taking his team up the stairs. They stopped near the end of the hallway, Sakura opening the door and turning the light on.

"Sakura, you take this room. Naruto can sleep in the one next door with Sasuke. I'll be across the hall." Kakashi explained motioning Naruto to his room and disappearing into his own. Naruto stepped inside and shut the door behind him, placing Sasuke's thin frame on one of the beds. The Uchiha trembled weakly, clutching his mark and whimpering under his breath. The blond eyed him for a moment, remembering what his sensei had told him, and sat down on the other mattress. Pulling his bag into his lap, he began to search for something to eat. All he had was a squished sandwich that he honestly didn't remember making, but nevertheless it did not catch his fancy. The blue eyed boy dropped it next to him and continued looking around his backpack's contents. Sasuke rolled his head to look at the blond.

"Na-aruto?..." He said shakily, wincing and tightening his muscles repeatedly. The other boy stopped what he was doing and looked up questioningly. The Uchiha opened his mouth, but ended up letting a weak cry slip past his lips. Naruto leapt to his side within seconds.

"Sasuke? Did that man hurt you?" He asked quickly, anger flaring slightly at the thought. Sasuke growled and clawed his mark, squeezing his black eyes shut.

"O-Of course... not-t..." He whispered hoarsely, senses beginning to return to him. Why was he on a bed with Naruto? What had happened to traveling? The black haired boy sat up with a whine, dropping his head exhaustedly. His blond teammate grabbed his arm as he did so.

"Hey, stubborn idiot, lie back down! What do you think you're doing?" Sasuke gasped shakily as he was forced back down onto the bed. A choked, painful cry escaped past his lips and he clutched his, once again, throbbing arm. Naruto flinched. He'd just squeezed the life out of his teammate's broken limb without knowing it.

"Dammit! Sasuke, I'm so sorry!" He said quickly, raising his hands as if he were about to do something. He didn't, though, not exactly knowing how to help the boy. Sasuke whimpered and clutched his arm, gritting his teeth painfully.

"B-Bastard..." He said shakily. The blond ran out of the room hurriedly, banging on the door he reached first.

"Sakura-chan! Sasuke's hurt and he-" The tan boy stopped, looking up to see a shadowy man standing in the doorway. The man was lean with brick red hair. He wore a pair of black sweatpants and a white wife beater. Naruto swallowed loudly, scratching his head embarrassingly.

"I-I'm sorry I thought this was my friend's room. I didn't mean to bother you, sir..." The man only stared, red eyes glistening in the florescent lights. Naruto gulped again at the empty stare, seeing a blonde man walk up behind the small male.

"Hey, what's the matter. Shut the door." He looked down at Naruto, growing quiet himself. The boy took a few steps back, walking away and looking over his shoulder at the two men.

_'Freaks..'_ He thought and knocked gently on what he thought to be his teammate's room. To his relief, a familiar, pink haired girl appeared in the door way. Her hair was damp and dripping down the sides of her thin face, emerald eyes looking a him questioningly.

"Naruto? What is it? Is something wrong with Sasuke-kun?" She said, wincing slightly as she once again used the annoying suffix. The blond nodded and grabbed her hand, running her into his room and dragging her next to Sasuke. The Uchiha moaned as the mattress bounced uncomfortably at the two other's weight. He opened one black orb and looked at the female, turning to her fully after recognizing who she was.

"S-Sakura?" He asked, letting out a small cry as Naruto touched his swollen arm. The blond pulled back with a small grimace, saying sorry quietly under his breath over and over. The female pushed him back a bit, taking a seat next to the Uchiha.

"Sasuke, tell me how bad it hurts."

"Wh-What do you _think_ my answer is going to be..." He choked out in return, yelling as Naruto slapped his broken lightly and Sakura smacked him upside the head. He whined and gave her a small pout and the girl sent him a sharp glare. She once again returned to looking over her teammate's injury with a small frown. It was as if the boy had a donut swelling around his wrist under his skin. The sheer sight made her own arms pulse a bit. He looked miserable.

"Sasuke.. I know this is going to hurt, but you need to stay quiet. Alright?" The boy gave her a worried glance, covering his eyes with his good arm as she slowly wrapped her hands around the broken bones. She quickly adjusted herself and slammed them back into place once again. His little brawl downstairs probably agitated and shifted the bones again. Sasuke quickly covered his mouth, eyes squeezing shut tightly. Tears burned at the corners of his eyes, but he refused to let them fall. What had he been trained to do for so long? Ignore pain. Just grow numb to it. The Uchiha breathed in deeply, remembering what his sensei had told him and relaxing a few seconds afterwards. Sakura cocked an eyebrow.

_'His pain tolerance has gotten higher... Wonder what he's been put through to master it so quickly..'_ The thought made her shudder, remembering how she'd heard he had murdered some people. The girl was extremely curious, but knew someone like Sasuke wouldn't tell anyone anything he didn't want to. The idea of asking a deep question almost seemed absurd when the person you were asking was him. Sakura quickly pulled out some medical gauze, wrapping the boy's arm tightly in it and making sure not to move them around more. The boy closed one eye, obviously struggling to stay quiet. It was getting harder the more time his arm was wrapped. Naruto watched silently, feeling a bit regretful for hitting him before. Although, he really didn't want to allow him to talk to Sakura that way. He shouldn't be allowed to talk like that to whoever he wanted.

_'If we're going to be taking him back to the village... Then... He isn't a teammate for now. He's a fugitive. A traitor.'_ The blond tried telling himself, but couldn't force himself to see Sasuke in such a negative light. It hurt to think of what the Hokage might decide to do to him. As far as he knew, Tsunade had no emotional feelings, except maybe a bit of suspicion, for the boy. Would she be as forgiving as them? He looked down quietly. He highly doubted that. Apparently, Sasuke had even stooped to murder, yet they _still_ took his side. No one could understand their emotional status with the Uchiha, most likely. He was a very hard person to decipher. The blue eyed boy was brought back to reality as Sasuke let out a small cry.

"Sasuke, please. Try and stay still." Sakura whispered pleadingly, one hand lifting to pet the black haired boy's head calmly. His brows knitted together and sweat beads rolled down his face. Naruto went to the small bathroom and grabbed a washcloth, wetting it and hurrying back to the two other ninja on the bed. Sasuke shivered as the cool cloth wiped the sweat from his brow.

"Alright, that's all I can do until we get back to the village. Can you make sure he doesn't sleep on it?"

"Of course. And I'll also make sure he sleeps." Naruto smiled, watching her leave quietly after picking up the medical supplies and putting a pain killer on the bedside table. The black haired boy was too underweight to take two, anyways. Sasuke snorted a bit, getting his teammate's attention.

"What are you laughing about? You just almost cried over a broken wrist..."

"You think I'll sleep just because you tell me to or because you promised Sakura..," he smirked slightly, "Good luck with that..." The blond boy cocked an eyebrow, smirking himself. He shuffled a bit towards the Uchiha, quickly pressing a pressure point on the other's neck and sent him into darkness.

* * *

><p>Kakashi groaned and opened his eyes, seeing a few beams of sunlight peaking through the drab, grey curtains shielding the window next to his bed. The grey haired man sat up slowly and pulled down the white sheets covering her toned body.<p>

_'Need to go wake up the kids...'_ He thought with a small smile, slipping his usual, green, jounin jacket on and gathering what little clothes he had into his backpack. His ribs were really stinging this morning. He'd almost forgot about the bastards, but now they were back with a vengeance. Kakashi stepped out of the room and walked across the hall, knocking lightly on the door and walking in a moment afterwards. He saw Naruto and Sasuke lying back to back on the bed, the blond snoring a bit and scratching his side. The man walked over and nudged him a bit, not wanting to wake the Uchiha on the other side up. Naruto opened his blue eyes and blinked a bit, clearing the haze from them and staring forward in bewilderment. His sensei tapped his cheek and motioned him to be quiet. The tan boy looked behind him as he felt an unusual warmth pressed against him, seeing Sasuke curled up on his side. The boy looked so young.

"What time is it?..." He whispered quietly, watching as his sensei lifted up four fingers. The blond nodded and motioned to Sasuke questioningly. The grey haired man leaned over and shook the boy's shoulder, taking his had back as the Uchiha jumped and rolled off the bed onto the floor with a thud. Naruto and Kakashi looked over the mattress at him. The boy lied on his back, grunting and rubbing his forehead with his good arm.

"What the hell, Sasuke?" The blond boy murmured and helped him up, receiving a long string of curses from the Uchiha.

"I can walk, bastard! Let go!" He ordered and ripped himself away. His strength had returned a bit over the night and he stood proudly on his feet once again. Kakashi chuckled and ruffled his black, tangled hair.

"Well, now that you can walk we have to be extra careful. Wouldn't want you running off anywhere with that bad arm of yours-"

"Shut up." Sasuke snarled and stamped towards the door, wincing and holding his arm. Naruto walked passed him and out the door, backpack already packed. He nudged his teammate teasingly, watching him stumble and try to catch his balance. The blond chuckled and left to go wake Sakura, leaving Sasuke with Kakashi.

"So," the Uchiha growled under his breath after a few minutes of silent standing, "I guess I'm your prisoner now, in some way." He smirked at the older ninja, knowing they refused to think of him in such a way. The jounin shrugged without looking at the boy, who kept pulling his shorts up.

"I wouldn't use the term prisoner... Maybe... More like the kid we have to babysit for the time being." He chuckled as the black eyed child narrowed his eyes and snorted, continuing to rub his arm tenderly. The grey haired man turned serious.

"How bad does it hurt? We'll get it fixed when we get home.." Sasuke once again snorted and gave a hallow laugh.

"Once Orochimaru finds that I've left he'll come looking for me... He'll kill you for doing this..." He smiled in a twisted manner, seeing his teacher flinch visibly. He gave the boy a saddened look and took a deep sigh through his nose.

"Alright! We're ready!" Naruto said with a smile as he marched out of the hotel room with Sakura by his side. She blinked as she saw Sasuke standing by her sensei, giving him a small, sincere smile.

"Good morning, Sasuke. Your arm's swelling seems to have gone down during the night." The Uchiha turned away from her, pride being squashed as he remembered the girl healing him the night before. He had been so weak.

_'I need to get away from them as soon as I can... If I get inside the village I'll never make it out myself... Dammit, Orochimaru is going to strangle me...'_ He thought, looking up as a hand fell on his shoulder and forced him to start walking. It was his sensei, and he glared up at him quietly. The four walked down the wooden stairs to see a few couples sitting in the lobby. The smell of coffee wafted up their nostrils and made Kakashi sigh heavily. He could use some of that right now.

"Sensei? Do... Do you think we could ask for some food before we leave? We haven't eaten in a day or so." Naruto begged, rubbing his stomach hungrily. The man was quiet for a split second, smiling politely as one of the men from the night before walked towards them.

"Hello again. I hope you all rested nicely? And no need to pay us. Ninja doing such a noble act such as yours are welcome here anytime. Just keep taking out our enemies and this town will allow you anything you need." He explained and grinned widely, though Naruto and Sakura's face fell at his words. Sasuke said nothing, a bit surprised his face was even know around these parts. He looked at the jounin next to him and began to interpret his body language. Tense. He was very uncomfortable.

"That is very generous of you. Could we, perhaps, get some food before we set off?" He asked smoothly, receiving a quick nod as the other man pointed them towards a table.

"I'll go see what we have in the kitchen. It'll just be a moment." He smiled again and scurried off, leaving the four in awkward silence. Sakura sighed and propped her head in her hands, closing her emerald eyes and trying to get comfortable. The blond beside her copied and rested his own head on his arms. It was still dark outside, he noticed, and the fact only made him narrow his blue eyes. He hated getting up before the sun did. It seemed so backwards. Sasuke didn't seem to mind. His black eyes were wide as they watched everyone around them nervously. His muscles seemed tense, as if he was prepared to bolt away at the smallest motion. The man from before arrived again, holding a plate with a few sushi spread out on it.

"This was left over from last night. Is that alright with you all?" Naruto nodded quickly, reaching out as the plate was set down on the table. Sasuke slowly a few, nibbling them slowly. He was still savoring all the good food he was receiving. It almost was like every meal was a treat for him. Kakashi read his book in silence. The village was only a few hours away. He could wait. After finishing the food, they thanked the men and departed down the road. Mist hovered in front of them and they Sakura ran a hand through her hair. She hated humidity.

"So, sensei, once we get back are we heading straight to Tsunade?"

"Of course we are. Where else would we go?" The man replied smoothly. The blond shrugged and looked over his shoulder, blinking as he saw the two men from the room next to his. They stood in the doorway of the motel, watching him silently. Naruto gulped and swished his head around, gripping his backpack's straps tightly. He couldn't place his finger on it, but the men sent chills up his spine. He turned back around and saw that they had disappeared already into the fog. Naruto sighed a bit with relief. Sasuke was staring forward quietly as they re-entered the forest. He smirked as he realized the others would have to walk since he couldn't run. The next moment he grimaced at his weakness. Naruto kicked a few dead leaves in front of him, looking up at the dead trees overhead. A few minutes passed and the blind grew antsy, smirking playfully as he bent down and began crumpling up a pile of leaves. He looked at Sasuke's shirt. The neck hole hung down his back, open and vulnerable. He narrowed his blue eyes and grinned. He held his hand up, a small crumpled leaf sitting on his palm. He flicked it at the Uchiha's neck, cursing as it fell short and floated to the ground. He continued, finally making one in and throwing his arms up. Sasuke turned and glared at him, using his good arm to pull his shirt open and let the leaf fall out.

"Naruto! What is wrong with you?" Sakura jabbed him in the ribs, making the boy wince and hold his side.

"What? Teme doesn't mind."

"Yes I do, baka." The black haired boy grumbled, rubbing his arm gently. Naruto sighed and hunched angrily, boredom setting in. They walked for an hour or so, Naruto letting out a relieved sigh as the village gates came into view. Sasuke's legs grew weak at the sight and he froze to a stop suddenly. Kakashi turned to him with a knowing look, putting a hand on the boy's shoulder.

"Come on." He said and began pushing Sasuke's body forward. The Uchiha looked down as he saw a group of jounin hovering around the entrance. They were talking, dying down as they saw the missing nin. One of them stopped them and pointed at Sasuke with a shocked look. Kakashi explained to them that they needed to see the Hokage and he saw his pale student jump visibly as a group of anbu appeared the next second.

"We're taking Uchiha with us. Tsunade has ordered for your appearance." They said and grabbed a hold of Sasuke. The boy didn't struggle against them. He just narrowed his eyes and kept his head down. Sakura watched with worried eyes as they vanished. Kakashi let out a deep growl, heading off with his students to see Tsunade at once.

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><p>The blond tapped her desk in an impatient manner, anger rising by the second. She sat up as a knock sounded on her door, telling whoever it was to enter. The three ninja hurried in, standing before his desk in a line. The amber eyed woman glared at them seriously, focussing her gaze on Kakashi.<p>

"Where did you find him." She ordered, getting straight to the point. "We're not exactly sure. It was deep in the woods. Orochimaru wasn't there. Sasuke told us that he had left a week ago without him." The grey haired man explained calmly, preparing himself for the woman's fury. She stood abruptly, slamming her hands onto her desk and sending papers flying into the air. Sakura and Naruto flinched noticeably at the sudden movement, gulping simultaneously.

"Bring him in." She ordered, and the two young ninja turned to see Sasuke led in. He stumbled in, arms pulled behind his back in a uncomfortable position. A white cloth was around his eyes, making his sharingan useless. He was dragged forward and stood before the Hokage's desk, head forced down. Naruto watched with sad eyes. He couldn't stand seeing him being treated this way.

"Uchiha," the pale boy didn't look up, "Orochimaru and Kabuto, where are they? What did they tell you before they left?" The child sighed heavily through his noise. Only minutes after entering to village and he was already being interrogated.

"They didn't tell me anything, and I hardly remember what happened.." He trailed off, gritting his teeth as his captor tightened his grip around his broken arm. Sakura looked out the window. She prayed the boy would talk and not be stubborn. Tsunade didn't seem to believe his answer, ordering the anbu to take him out of her sight. The boy whimpered as he was pulled backwards and forced out the door. Naruto glared at Tsunade with sharp eyes.

"He said he doesn't remember! What are you planning to do to him?"

"The council and I will have to see what his punishment will be. Until then, we'll interrogate him and get all the information we can out of him." She said sternly, sitting back down and crossing her arms over her large chest. Sakura stifled a sob, worry filling her. So he wouldn't be let off easy at all. She turned to Naruto, seeing him gritting his teeth and holding back his screams.

"As for you, Kakashi," the woman started again, making the man straighten up a bit, "I'll need to have a long word with you. Naruto and Sakura, you are dismissed. No missions until further notice." The two nodded and stepped out and began walking down the hallway in silence. Neither of them knew what to say to the other, too worried about their teammate to think of words. They rounded a corner, lifting their heads as they heard a few shouts. Sasuke was pressed against the wall, eyes shut tightly. The man holding him there pressed harder, holding a kunai at the back of his neck.

"Hold still, scum." He murmured and let out a snort as the boy finally complied. Naruto glared angrily as they pulled him into a room, shutting the iron door with a thud. Sakura put a hand on Naruto's shoulder.

"It'll turn out alright..." She said, but the blond shoved her off and ran down the hall and through the doors at the end. Sakura watched him go, wanting to believe the words that had just escaped her mouth, but failing miserably.

_'Sasuke-kun...'_ She thought worriedly, finally letting the tears fall.

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><p><strong>AN: <strong>Ugh, dammit FINALLY GOOD GRACIOUS LAMBS. There ya' go, kiddies. I'm SOOO sorry for the wait!

**Reviews are adored.**

_Nat_


	13. Chapter 13

**AN: **Hey again! Lol, faster update then last time? Haha, no shit. Anyways, enjoy.

Don't own Naruto.

_Chapter Thirteen_

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><p>Sasuke's head snapped to the right with a sickening smack, crimson ribbons escaping the side of his mouth and dripping down his chin. A small moan made its way past his busted lips and another slap echoed around the dungeon like room.<p>

"I said _where_ is Orochimaru!" The man before him ordered loudly, watching the Uchiha's head fall forward bonelessly. He was completely exhausted and the numerous drugs in his system made his mind foggy and slow. The boy whimpered as his head was forced up. He couldn't see anything due to the strip of cloth covering his eyes. The anbu sighed and slapped him a bit as he began nodding off.

"Hey! Stay with us, scum." He yelled, shaking the child's head roughly.

"F-Father..." He whispered breathlessly, feeling a hand reach around him and pull his head back by his chin.

"No. For the last fucking time I'm not your father, brat. Now answer the damn question!" The man yelled, punching him in the stomach. Sasuke coughed and whined.

"I-I'm sorry... father..." He whimpered out again, pulling an angry roar from the man. Even with all the drugs, all the medicine that made him remember details, all he was thinking about was his family. All they had gotten out of him was his horrific experience with the Uchiha massacre. It was starting to get on all of their nerves. One of the men spoke up after silence filled the room for two minutes.

"Sir, I don't think this is getting us anywhere.. Maybe if we changed our course of action?"

"And _what_ exactly do you mean by that?" The man with the hawk mask asked, anger evident in his gruff voice. The lower ranked ninja shrugged a bit.

"Maybe we should play along? He'd respect his father more then you, I'd think." The man said sheepishly, receiving a quiet stare for a while. The hawk masked man gave a tiny nod and squatted before the exhausted Uchiha. He picked his head up and a soft moan slipped past the child's bloody lips.

"Sasuke," he said in a stern voice, making the child jump and quiver, "Why did you leave to go to Orochimaru?" The Uchiha gritted his teeth and whimpered, tears leaking through the cloth around his eyes.

"I-I-I had to get stronger, father... To kill him... I h-had to..." He trailed off into soft sobs, chin falling against his chest. The anbu slapped him hard across the face, making him cry out and quiver more violently.

"Don't lie to me, son." The words were weak with emotion, hallow and untrue. Since Sasuke was already weakened by the amount of drugs in his system he did not catch the obvious lie. He only cried heavier.

"I-I'm not lying, father!... He... He said he could help... And... He gave me his mark... Then..." He began to sob heavier, gasping as his chin was snatched up.

"Then _what_? What happened?"

"He made me... His mark... it told me to..." The Uchiha whispered fearfully. The hawk masked anbu cocked his head to the side. Made him? Another few anbu crossed their arms in deep thought.

"What do you mean, Sasuke?.." Another man asked and walked closer to the tied up boy. The Uchiha flinched and turned his head towards the voice.

"W-W-What's happening?... Who... making... Orochimaru?" He slurred and once again fell limp in the restraints. The man standing behind his chair yanked his head up by his hair and pulled out a senbon needle, prodding his neck and making the boy jump and shutter.

"N-No! Please!..." He begged desperately, tears soaking the cloth around his eyes. The man pressed a bit harder, drawing blood and sharp gasps from Sasuke.

"I-I can't see... I can't see!" He yelled and started thrashing about, beginning to fight the restraints around his wrists. The leading ninja nailed him across the face, making him let out a small wheeze. He heard a click and felt his strength leave him immediately, body going limp against the back of the chair he was stuck to. The blindfold was yanked off and he furrowed his eyebrows. The older man forced the child's eyes open, seeing them begin to roll back in his head.

"Don't fucking pass out again, brat." He ordered and jostled the Uchiha roughly. Sasuke groaned loudly and tensed up as a needle pricked his neck for the fifth time. Medication was forced into his veins and he shuttered tiredly.

"Now, explain further. What did the mark make you do?" He ordered fiercely and jerked Sasuke closer towards his white mask. The child trembled and shut his eyes in resistance, foggy mind telling him Orochimaru was here and testing his loyalty as he always did.

"I-I won't... Just... stop.." He whispered under his breath, remembering the time he had failed this test. The boy hadn't been able to move for days after that and he quivered more. The anbu punched him in the stomach harshly.

"How about you tell us what Orochimaru told you. What are his plans for Konoha?" Sasuke opened his grey orbs at his words, drugs forcing memories into his head clearly.

"H-He killed them... All of them!" He sobbed and let his head fall, tears plopping onto his thighs and the stone floor.

"This is getting us nowhere... Why is he only remembering the massacre? Those drugs should make him easier to manipulate."

"He might be using that memory to hide others. We should get more forceful with our questions. More direct." A girl with a dog mask said, cracking her knuckles and making Sasuke give her a fearful look. Another ninja shook his head.

"We should get Yamanaka to use his mind jutsu. That's the way to handle this." He explained in a soft voice, as if talking to a group of children. The hawk faced man ordered the two to silence themselves and walked back to the desk in the corner. Sasuke sobbed to himself loudly, repeating his brother's name over and over. He jumped as a humming sounded in front of him, seeing the man holding a chakra infused kunai. The boy trembled at the sight.

"Last chance, traitor."

Naruto splayed himself across his bed, hands folded behind his head. It had been a day since they had brought Sasuke back and he'd been getting interrogated since the moment he arrived. The blond stared at his ceiling with worried eyes. He'd heard interrogations were hard on a person's mind. Would Sasuke do alright? Surely his mental state was already crippled enough. He sat up as a knock sounded on his door and he ran to answer it. Sakura stood outside, emerald eyes gleaming.

"Sasuke was released an hour ago. He's in the hospital and Hokage-sama allowed us to see him." She explained and gasped a bit as the boy ran past her and down the stairs. She sighed and followed him. Although she was excited to have her teammate back and safe in the hospital, she knew he would look like a mess. Tsunade had made her heal interrogation victims before and all of them had turned out looking grotesque. Surely Sasuke would look five times worse with his stubborn personality. The two entered the hospital and got their friend's room number, hurrying to it and not caring to knock before letting themselves in. Naruto froze in the doorway, blue eyes taking in the sight before him. Sasuke lie on the bed, chains encircling his wrists and ankles. His face was a mess of bruises and his breathing was weak and raspy.

"You guys finally made it." Kakashi spoke from next to his student's bed, waving them over. Sakura was beside Sasuke in three quick skips, hands falling to his unmoving face. The Uchiha whimpered at the touch and turned away.

"H-He said-..."

"Sasuke, calm down. You don't need to talk anymore." His sensei interrupted after seeing the child was trying to talk. The drugs were still swimming in his system and his mind was continuing to dump all of its contents out of Sasuke's mouth, willingly answering anything asked. Naruto walked over slowly and ran a hand through his blond hair, still taking in the boy's condition. He looked like the anbu had beaten him senseless. Of course, they probably had. His collar bone was still prominent above his shirt collar. Sakura looked at his neck more closely, seeing red bandages wrapped around his throat. Crimson splotches were soaking through the white cloth.

"They didn't take it easy on him, but they got everything they needed..." Kakashi said with a sigh and he looked up as Naruto's teeth ground together loudly.

"What all did they do to him..." He ordered under his breath, but received a shrug from the grey haired man.

"They didn't give me the details. Only the Hokage knows that information." He explained. His tan student turned on his heel and stamped out of the room, looking up and down the hallway with narrowed eyes. He had run past Tsunade on his way to Sasuke's room and knew the woman was close by. A flash of blond pigtails caught his eye and he began speed walking towards the woman.

"Hey! Grandma Tsunade!" He barked at her as he made his way to her side, seeing Shizune give him a curious glance. The blond woman turned to give the young ninja the same look, though exhaustion and tension was displayed across her face.

"What is it, Naruto. Sasuke is down-"

"I know where he is! I've seen him, and I want to know _why_ you allowed your anbu to beat the living shit out of him. If he didn't have a heart monitor I might have mistaken him for a corpse!" Naruto yelled angrily and made some people turn their heads to watch the scene unfolding. The Hokage sighed heavily and waved the blond off, turning and walking down the hallway. The younger ninja behind them appeared before her, glare even more malicious then before.

"You don't have an answer, do you?"

"They were ordered to get all the information they could. How much pain was applied was completely up to Sasuke. It's not anyone's fault but his own that he chose to be stubborn." She finished with a stern voice. The blond boy just stood there, her answer not pleasing him in the slightest. How could she allow this to happen? Yes, interrogations were supposed to be harsh, but this was ridiculous. His friend looked like he'd gotten attacked my Tsunade herself.

"He isn't-!" The blond stopped himself, receiving a small, regretful look from the woman before him. It lasted no more then a moment, then it vanished. The boy had seen it, though. She, too, was not as bent on treating Sasuke like a criminal as she acted. The blond supposed that, being the Hokage and having to do what was best for the village, she almost had to treat him as such.

"I've instructed his nurse to take good care of him. He's in good hands. The council will be seeing him soon as well. Any villagers are allowed to come and share their opinions," Tsunade said in a hushed voice and leaned forward to where her mouth hovered near Naruto's ear, "I'll be expecting to see you." With that, the Hokage turned and walked down the hallway and disappeared into the elevator. Naruto watched as the iron doors shut, sighing and heading back to his teammate's room. He was surprised to see the Uchiha already up and awake, Sakura by his side. He gave Naruto a tired glance, as if contemplating wether or not he was really there. The blue eyed boy smiled at him and jogged over, sitting down in the nearest chair.

"I'm really shocked to see him awake already. You feeling alright, Sasuke? You sure as hell don't look it." He spouted off immediately, seeing the black haired boy rub his forehead languidly and send another exhausted look his way. The chains around his wrists clanked loudly and made the child jump in surprise.

"We think he's fine. He was really drugged up when they brought him in. Guess they're still running their course." Kakashi sighed from across the room, lone eye fixated on his wavering student. Sasuke groaned and stared back at him, coughing and jerking with the force of it. Bruises marred his pale skin and his chest was neatly wrapped in bandages, though they looked ready to be changed. Sakura ran a gentle hand through his tangled mess of hair, seeing the boy flinch away from the touch and return to it not a moment later. She gave him a sad smile.

"He's really tired. When did they say he had to leave for the trial?" The pink haired girl asked after a few moments, seeing Naruto tense up at her words. Kakashi looked up at the clock in the corner.

"They never gave a specific time, but I'm guessing soon..."

"He's too drugged up. They aren't seriously thinking of giving him a fair trial while he's like that?" Naruto barked at his sensei's words, throwing a finger at Sasuke's quivering form. Kakashi eyed him calmly.

"Sasuke is going to be just fine... If he did return to being a leaf ninja, he'd be a very big asset to us. Tsunade knows how talented he is. He would be extremely helpful... Though, I worry about what the council has to offer." The man turned his gaze to the window, looking at the buildings of the village. A loud knock sounded on the door, a group of anbu flooding in. They grabbed Sasuke by the arms and yanked him to his feet roughly. The Uchiha groaned and dropped his head, allowing the two men to carry his weight.

"Lady Tsunade has ordered for Sasuke Uchiha's attendance. You are welcome to come along." A woman explained to the boy's team, motioning back at the men holding onto Sasuke. They yanked the boy out the door and a small whimper escaped him. Naruto flinched and hurried after the three, running at their heels until they finally arrived at the large room. The blond blinked in surprise at the sheer number of villagers. Sasuke gasped as he was dragged to the front and shoved before the elders, along with Tsunade. The boy looked up at then with tired eyes. Naruto and the others stood at the back, seeing one elder rise from his seat and hold a hand up. His words did not reach their ears, but a few men near the front of the room hollered angrily. Sasuke continued to look over the ninja, dull eyes filled with confusion. Tsunade was next to stand, amber eyes pinning the boy before her. She spoke for a long while, but stopped as a man ran forward towards the front.

"That scum doesn't deserve a trial! Kill him! Cut his head off!" He yelled as two anbu rushed to restrain him. The man kicked and snarled, trying to reach the Uchiha but failing in his attempt. Sasuke quivered and stared with wide orbs, rubbing his arm and he felt chill bumps cover it. Naruto began shoving through the crowds of people, trying to reach the front. Sakura gasped and grabbed his hand, following as well.

"For the attempted murder _and_ murder of innocent lives.." A man's voice rang out above the crowd's whispers and Naruto pushed himself to go faster.

_'Please take it easy on him, grandma Tsunade...'_ He thought nervously as Sakura and he burst out of the crowd and skidded to a stop. Sasuke turned to look at them with lidded eyes, wobbling as an anbu grabbed hold of his arm and forced him to look straight. Tsunade looked towards Naruto with concerned eyes. The blond boy was chewing on his lower lip nervously. The woman looked down at her desk, papers scattered everywhere, and then stood up.

"Uchiha Sasuke shall remain under tight surveillance for the next year. An anbu squad will be watching him at all times. He will be living with his sensei, Kakashi Hatake, until he has reached a state that we can trust him." She announced, a sudden roar erupting from the crowd. Sasuke dropped his head and winced, head pounding at the noises. Sakura clutched Naruto's arm, suddenly nervous. Apparently the village had very opposite thoughts about Sasuke. She knew they didn't approve of him, but she wouldn't have thought they'd react so negatively. The anbu holding her delirious teammate turned on his heel and dragged Sasuke out of the room, passing by Kakashi on their way out. Sakura eyed her teacher. He seemed to be thinking deeply, eyes locked on the floor. She gasped as she was tugged forward. Naruto was moving again, heading straight for Tsunade. The woman was seated once again, Danzou yelling by her side.

"Tsunade! Are you blind? Have you forgotten our discussion surrounding that traitorous scum?"

"I am the Hokage. I have the final say. You simply have the power of giving me advise. Nothing more." The woman replied professionally, amber eyes focussing on Naruto as he approached. Tsunade gave him a soft nod, seeing the boy's wide-eyed expression.

"Naruto?" Sakura whispered and paused, seeing the tears running down his tan cheeks. He was crying.

"Grandma Tsunade..." He choked out, sniffling abruptly after finishing his sentence. His pink haired teammate flinched and stared in confusion. Why was he crying? Sasuke would be fine and living with Kakashi sensei. There was no _reason_ to be crying.

_'Maybe it's relief...'_ She wondered. The blond she was holding hands with hiccuped lightly, wiping his eyes with a swipe of his arm. Danzou sneered at him, stomping away from the desk and vanishing through the back door. Tsunade stood and walked to stand in front of the young ninjas, pacing her manicured hands on her hips.

"Sasuke is going to be fine, Naruto. Don't worry anymore. The anbu I'll be choosing to watch him will be under _my_ watch the entire time. They won't lay a hand on him unless necessary." She spoke, seeing her guards herding the villagers out into the hallway. Many of them seemed angry, sending her vicious glares and spitting curses. The Hokage brushed them off. He had her reasons and she wasn't going to change her mind. Naruto dropped his head and kept his hand over his eyes while sobbing more.

"Grandma Tsunade... Thanks..." He whispered with a small smile. His form trembled with happiness. Sasuke wasn't going to die. They would be able to see him everyday, and he wasn't going to leave again. The boy hadn't realized he was crying until he felt tears soaking his shirt. Sakura blinked and rubbed her friend's back, feeling a smile crossing her own face. She, too, was feeling the same wave of peace running through her. She rested her head against his shoulder, giggling a bit to herself and catching the other two's attention.

"S-Sakura?" Naruto asked in shock, a bit confused. The girl looked up and grinned at him brightly.

"Nothing. I'm just happy." The kunoichi replied calmly. Tsunade placed a hand on Naruto's other shoulder, making him turn and look at her.

"Come on. I'm going to go check on your teammate. I'll discuss further punishment there..." The comment made the two genin flinch and shut their mouths, suddenly becoming serious. Naruto wiped more tears away and narrowed his blue eyes somberly. Of course there would be more consequences. Sasuke had done so much over the time he was gone. Tsunade brushed past them and made her way to the door, followed closely by the two children. They made their way to Sasuke's room, walking in and shutting the door behind them. Sasuke was on the bed, wrists once again chained to the bed's railing. He was glaring at the blond woman slightly, obviously regaining his senses. Kakashi sat next to the hospital bed, lone eye glued to his student.

"Lady Hokage... Your decision about where Sasuke will be staying... I don't think I am the best choice." The grey haired man said, sighing heavily and rubbing his temple. Naruto swallowed silently and looked over his teacher. He looked aged, tired and pained like a parent at their child's funeral. It saddened the boy and he took on a nervous air. Sakura seemed to be thinking the same thing. The Hokage stepped towards the silent Uchiha, reaching out and placing her hand on his forehead. The boy narrowed his eyes more, tearing away from her slowly.

"D-Don't touch me... What... What is he talking about?.." He whispered, flinching as his voice wavered. The anbu grabbed the back of his neck quickly and held him still. Sakura jumped at the sudden movement, having not seen the guard where he was standing. Sasuke whimpered at the touch, pulling at his restraints weakly. The blond woman waved the man off and she watched him release the child without saying a word. The Uchiha sent him a sharp look, snarling under his breath.

"Sasuke," Tsunade snapped, getting the boy's attention. "You have been sentenced to live under the careful watch of the anbu and your sensei. Your chakra will be sealed off and you will be unable to use jutsu until I deem you worthy. You will not be able to walk around the village unless attended by your sensei and he anbu. You will not lay a hand on anyone with the intention of hurting him, and if you do I will have no choice but to give you the death penalty. I have protected you from it this time, but if you act up I won't get you out of trouble." The woman finished, hearing the boy grind his teeth together. He dropped his gaze to focus on his lap, anger boiling. He couldn't die, but that meant restraining himself. He took a deep breath through his nose, looking up to stare at the white wall across from him.

"That it?..." He muttered in annoyance, not wanting to show them anymore weakness. Tsunade snorted at the boy's reply, crossing her arms.

"You're going to comply that quickly? I'd expected you to kick and squeal a bit more." The black haired boy sent her a small sneer, wishing now that he had enough chakra to pin her with his sharingan. He nodded curtly, chains clanking as he shuffled uncomfortably under the four ninja's stares.

"Well, I guess I should be relieved. As for your statement, Kakashi," the amber eyes woman began and turned his gaze to the jounin. "What is it that you are worried about? You're fully capable of handling him, even if he's fairly stubborn." Sasuke snorted and smirked to himself. Kakashi sighed once again and leaned back in his chair.

"There are many villagers that would love to get their hands on him, strong and weak alike. Also, Orochimaru will probably be longing for him. I was just wondering why you wouldn't place him under the care of someone more experienced with that sick bastard."

"You mean Jiraiya?" Tsunade asked, receiving a small shrug. The woman looked over Sasuke for a moment. "You have known Sasuke a lot longer than him. You understand his emotions better, and thus are more willing to aid him at this time. Jiraiya wouldn't have given a second thought if he had been sentenced to death." Naruto fisted his hands as she said this.

_'Damn pervert... He doesn't know Sasuke enough to think that.'_ He thought inwardly, blue eyes rolling to land on his teammate. The Uchiha was staring at him, ebony orbs empty of emotion. They were blank, hollow. The blond gulped at the gaze, heart dropping a bit.

"I guess you're right, Lady Hokage... I will take him in and watch him." Kakashi spoke, standing up out of his seat. His pale student looked up at him with a glare. He wasn't some mongrel pup to be taken care of. Why couldn't they just leave him be? Tsunade nodded and gave Sasuke one last look, turning and leaving the room after explaining to him once again how crucial it was to stay in line. The Uchiha had turned his head away rudely, still furious. The anbu unlocked the boy's restraints and quickly pulled his hands behind his back. He held them in place with one hand while he made a sign with the other. The man muttered something and slapped his palm on Sasuke's bare back, pulling a small grunt of surprise from the boy. A seal expanded over his skin and his legs trembled under his suddenly heavy weight. Sakura took a small step forward, wanting to help her teammate in any way she could. She felt Naruto grab her hand and squeeze it reassuringly. Kakashi waved the anbu off and grabbed Sasuke as he began to fall, wheezing as he felt whatever chakra he had left melt away. The anbu grabbed his wrists, but Kakashi gave him a look.

"He should be fine now that his chakra is suppressed. No need to bind his hands." He growled a bit, not wanting to put Sasuke through that kind of humiliation. Walking to his apartment in such a defenseless state would already squash the boy's overly nurtured pride. Although, some shame wouldn't be too bad for the boy. Sasuke tore his arm free of his sensei's grip, shakily standing up straight.

"I-I can walk... on my own." He spat viciously, wincing and rubbing his wrists tenderly. They still ached from his interrogation. The grey haired man shrugged and began making his way to the door.

"Might as well head home, then. Getting some real clothes on that fit you will feel better." He smiled at the boy, receiving a death glare from him. He stomped out the door and waited in the hallway impatiently. Might as well just get this over with.

'The faster, the better... Orochimaru shouldn't be too slow with his coming. I'll be out of this hell in no time...'He thought as he followed Kakashi out of the hospital, being tailed by his two teammates.

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><p><strong>AN:<strong> Haha! Yep, I chose Kakashi over Naruto to be Sasuke's watcher. It wouldn't make sense if the done was chosen anyways! I mean, he isn't powerful enough yet. Poor, little, defenseless Sasuke-kun needs a big, strong man to take care of him. Anyways, I think there is gonna' be some cute father/son moments coming up, accompanied by a LITTLE Sasuke-torture time. I did say some villagers wanted to hurt Sasuke, didn't I? ;) And don't forget about Orochimaru, lol. He's certainly gonna' be up somewhere soon.

**Reviews are adored!**

_Nat_


	14. Chapter 14

**AN: **Lol, hai guys! So sorry for the extremely long wait and all. :C My brain is like, fried right now. Idk why. Anyways, I'm trying my best to push through some more writers block. It's like, I like something then I don't. I'm so pathetically fickle about my stories that it's not even funny. Ah well, you can't ALWAYS do the greatest, haha. (: Yes, continuing on, due to my writers block and school I will not be updating this story nearly as quickly. I have returned to writing on my iPhone's note pad thinger ma bob, which is faster than having to do it on my mac, so it won't take QUITE as long as it should. Just givin' a heads up to anyone that watches the story or reads it or something...

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto, or any of it's characters.

_Chapter Fourteen_

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><p>Sasuke tossed his head to the side and whined weakly, kicking the sheets off of himself and thrashing his arms a bit. Kakashi watched in silence, the moonlight spilling through the window sending a wave of milky light over his back. His student was, obviously, having a nightmare. A part of him, the protective father perhaps, urged him to wake the child from his torment. Another part that he could not identify smothered those thoughts and let him watch with interest. The man wondered why he was allowing his student to go through this, but then again he was not his student anymore. Kakashi shook his head at the thought and quickly shook the thin child awake. Sasuke inhaled loudly and snapped his eyes open, holding his arms up defensively and sucking in gulps of air.<p>

"O-Orochim-maru?" He stuttered just above a whisper and turned to see who it was that had woken him up. A flash of silver hair caught his eye and he tensed, a defined grimace spreading across his lips.

"Kabuto?..." He snarled quietly, letting his arms fall onto the mattress above his head.

"Sasuke, it's Kakashi." The man replied slowly, placing a hand on his shoulder and feeling the child flinch away from the touch. Sasuke let out a growl of annoyance and rolled onto his side.

"You seemed to be having a nightmare... Was it Oro-"

"No. Now leave me alone." The Uchiha snapped quickly, curling up under the tan sheets of Kakashi's small bed. The jounin let out a tired sigh and walked back to his couch. Sasuke listened to the man's footsteps move away from the bed and heard the couch creak as he made himself comfortable. He swallowed loudly and tried to rid his mind of his dream, feeling his muscles tighten as images flashed in his mind. Orochimaru pinning him against the wall and stabbing him numerous times, activating the curse mark against his will and leaving him bloodied and beaten senseless on the cold floor. The black haired boy squeezed his eyes shut and prayed he wouldn't make a sound. Thankfully he didn't, and Kakashi let out a deep breath of relaxation.

_'He'll tell me when he's ready...'_ The older man thought as he closed his eyes and drifted off halfway. He had trained himself to sleep like this on missions, and since he knew Sasuke was not exactly _wanted_ back in the village, he thought it would be best if he slept this way. He heard his student groan softly and shuffle uncomfortable, trying to fall back asleep. The boy fisted his hand next to his face, feeling his stomach tighten into a knot. Orochimaru surely would be furious with him for being so weak. Now that he thought about it, he'd hardly fought back enough. The Uchiha pressed his face into the soft mattress, letting his eyes close slowly.

_'This bed is a lot nicer... And... I'm eating better..,_ the boy ground his teeth as he thought this, shaking his head angrily. _'How could you say that? This place has nothing to offer you anymore. Orochimaru made you strong. He made you worth something more than you were before.' He tried to tell himself, flinching as he saw Kakashi sit up and look at him, mask and headband gone._

"You feeling alright, Sasuke?" He asked casually, scratching his head and yawning. Sasuke didn't answer. He, instead, looked down at the picture on his former sensei's night stand.

"You still have that damn picture..." He muttered, trying to forget his dream. Kakashi smiled a bit, looking at the picture frame facing away from him.

"I guess I do... You know they almost used that photo of you for your mug shot." Kakashi chuckled, trying to rewrite the memory as a humorous one instead of a bad one. The day that he had been asked to give up his team photo was one that he had dreamt about. It had been the last thing to remember his student, Sasuke, by, and he hadn't been ready to give it up. The man was brought out of his thoughts as he heard his student sigh lightly, having fallen asleep again. Kakashi smiled at his small shadow and lied back down on the couch, closing his eyes as well.

Sasuke jerked awake a few hours later, black orbs wide and alarmed. He rolled his head to the side to see what time it was.

_'Four in the morning... Fantastic. I'm still on Orochimaru's schedule.'_ He thought and slid off the bed, seeing his sensei turn to him quickly. His mask and headband were gone and Sasuke couldn't help but stare for a moment in shock. This was the first time for him to see his sensei's face. Kakashi chuckled and brought him out of his stare.

"Naruto said you thought I had fish lips and that was why I wore a mask... Such a childish idea."

"Shut up! I'm not childish anymore!... I'm... not your student anymore, Kakashi... Stop treating me like I am below you." Sasuke trailed off, feeling a throb in his eyes as he tried to activate his sharingan. He choked out in pain and covered his face, whimpering quietly. Kakashi hurried to him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Sasuke, don't try and use your eyes... You're chakra is sealed, remember?"

"G-Get off of me! I know th-that..." The child yelled and pushed away, rubbing the back of his neck tenderly. The seal still ached a bit. His teacher sighed and walked to the kitchen, beginning to make some coffee. Sasuke watched him quietly, keeping his breathing even.

"You want some? I bet you're tired." The older man spoke, making him narrow his black eyes as he say down on the couch. He snorted in a nonchalant manner, crossing his arms and leaning back.

"Sasuke, I don't speak that language. You're going to have to tell me yes or no." Kakashi sighed and poured some cream into his coffee, stirring it slowly. Sasuke growled under his breath.

"I'm fine..." He snarled and turned his head away defiantly. Kakashi shrugged and sat down next to him, sipping from his mug quietly. Sasuke glared at him heatedly, not enjoying the man entering his personal space. They stayed like that for a time, the grey haired man acting indifferent to his former student's piercing gaze. The older of the two sighed finally and set his cup down, turning to Sasuke with a grin.

"Those clothes look ridiculously big on you, Sasuke." He chuckled am made the Uchiha's eye twitch.

"What's that supposed to mean..."

"It's supposed to mean that you and I need to go do some shopping." The boy's eye twitched again, despising his choice of words. He'd always _hated_ shopping, even when his mother had gone along with him. The black haired boy stood and walked a few feet away, making the man who was now behind him look at his back with patient eyes.

"I can wear your clothes. I'm not entering a fashion contest.."

"Who said I want you wearing my clothes?" Kakashi cut in, making the younger male turn and look at him in frustration. He rolled his black orbs and tightened the drawstring around his waist. His sensei chuckled and stood up, walking past him and towards the door. Sasuke didn't move, too angry to register that his teacher was getting ready to leave.

"Come on, Sasuke. I know you're excited, but try and focus." The man laughed and turned him around. Sasuke simply snorted and brushed past the man.

"Let's just get this over with."

* * *

><p>The dog yipped and bounded through the rain, paws splashing through a muddy puddle as it crossed the road and vanished into the shadowed alleyway. Sasuke winced at the scratchy barks, unwillingly pressing himself against Kakashi's side. The rain had come as a surprise and they'd ended up buying a cheap, small umbrella for themselves, though it hardly covered Kakashi alone. The man ducked into a restaurant and sighed closing the umbrella and shaking his head slightly, getting some spare water droplets out of his grey hair. Sasuke muttered a curse under his breath as the droplets splattered onto his left cheek. His sensei laughed and ruffled his damp hair teasingly, making the black locks rise and spike unevenly.<p>

"That's a nice look for you. Maybe you should keep it that way." The man laughed as the boy immediately began grooming himself.

"Shut up." He snapped in disrespect, sitting down with the man as they rested down at a booth. They had shopped till afternoon came and Kakashi had led them to his favorite eating place when he had heard his student's stomach growl loudly. The Uchiha had grumbled and protested the entire way there, but the older man could see the spark of hunger enter his eyes as a tray of food passed their table. Sasuke quickly masked his face expertly, crossing his arms and leaning onto the table with a sigh. He tensed a bit as he felt them. The stares. Everyone was looking at him, and not in a friendly way. Kakashi noticed as well, keeping a calm air though.

"So what are you hungry for, Sasuke?" He spoke, trying to ease his obviously uncomfortable acquaintance. Sasuke gave him an anxious look, anger filling his eyes.

"I... Can't we eat at your place?..." He muttered and sat up, slouching and letting his bangs cover his face. Kakashi gave the young girls near them a warning glare, making them jump and spin around. He returned his gaze back to Sasuke.

"Don't mind them... They're just curious." He reassured Sasuke, who didn't fall for his lie. He snorted, but refused to lift his head. A waiter came by after a while, her friends watching with wide eyes.

"W-Welcome, sir," she stuttered, clutching her notepad as Sasuke finally lifted his head. "I-I'll be serving you today.. Are you... ready to eat, yet?" She finished finally, chewing her lower lip as she glanced at Sasuke over and over. The female obviously was nervous of his presence. Kakashi gave her a fake smile, acting nonchalant to her actions.

"We'll just have some soup. That's all." He explained, glancing at Sasuke as he crossed his arms and relaxed into the booth. He sighed heavily and watched the rain outside. The waiter nodded quickly and scurried away, gasping when she reached her friends as if she's been holding her breath. Kakashi looked at his student as he grumbled under his breath.

"They'll get over it... You're just the big news around here. When the next scandal happens, they'll forget all about you."

"I doubt it'll be that easy... It's not everyday a traitor returns to the village... Anyways, I'm not planning on staying here." The Uchiha muttered in response, watching a particularly large water droplet slide down the window. His teacher stared at him for a moment, feeling his throat tighten at his words. He _still_ thought Orochimaru was on his side. How could someone so bright be so blind?

"Here's the soup, sir... Um... M-My boss told me to tell you t-to eat quickly...," the waitress stuttered. "He says... that you're disrupting the other customers..." She finished, trailing off towards the end as Kakashi turned a fierce gaze to her. Sasuke didn't react to the girl, sighing a bit and rubbing his arm. He still felt weak, and that made him angry to begin with. He didn't need all of this unwanted drama.

"Tell your boss that we are paying customers. Sasuke is a citizen of this village wether you decide to except that or not." Kakashi snapped at her, letting his temper grow a bit out of hand. Sasuke looked at him with dull eyes, though he mentally sighed with relief. He was thankful he had Kakashi here, otherwise he'd probably have been jumped by now.

"That traitor isn't anything but scum in this village! Tsunade was a fool to allow him such mercy!" A man across the room hollered, making a few others grunt in approval. Sasuke lowered his head, knowing he shouldn't say anything. In this state he'd get his ass whooped in no time at all. His current guardian stood from his seat, sliding some money to the middle of the table. He motioned for Sasuke to follow him and the two left the restaurant without another word. The younger ninja walked close to Kakashi's side, not wanting the rain to hit him. With such low chakra he might even get sick, though he doubted it. Orochimaru had helped build up his immune system with various experiments. The boy shuddered at the memories, catching Kakashi's eye.

"You alright?"

"Of course I'm alright..." He snapped back, glaring ahead of them stubbornly. His sensei sighed and gripped the umbrella tighter, heading back to his apartment. Once there he stopped in front of his door, shuffling around in his pocket for his keys. Sasuke stood behind him, shivering and hugging himself a bit. The cheap umbrella had inevitably broken halfway through the walk, making his clothes cling to his bony frame. Kakashi finally unlocked his door and grunted as the boy zipped past him into the room. He ducked into the small bathroom and grabbed a towel, rubbing it over his damp hair and drying his scalp.

"Sorry about the umbrella breaking and all... Cheap thing didn't last very long at all.." Kakashi muttered from the doorway, receiving a snort from the young boy. He sighed and walked into the living room. His head was killing him now with the cold-front blowing in. Winter was definitely almost here. The man lied down on the couch and draped his arm over his eyes.

"I'm taking a nap so keep it down." He told the Uchiha, not surprised when he heard nothing back. The jounin took a deep breath and closed his eyes, resting back into the old cushions. He dozed off a bit later, ears wide open to any loud noises still. Sasuke, after slipping into his new clothes, walked out of the bathroom and plopped onto Kakashi's bed, huffing out impatiently. He didn't know exactly how long his sensei could sleep, nor how deep, but he surely didn't want to sit here and count the minutes. The boy stood and, after adjusting his black shirt, walked quietly to the window. The rain was still coming down hard on the old glass. He took in a deep breath, pressing his face against the glass and exhaling onto it. The window turned foggy and he leaned back, slowly running his fingers through it and making it disappear. Sasuke, after staring a few more minutes out the window, walked off and once again lied down on the bed. He wasn't tired, but something about the rain hitting Kakashi's roof made him want to sit around all day. This really was a change for him. Back when he was with Orochimaru he would have only dreamed of hearing or seeing rain, much less relax like he was. His muscles felt different, more loose. Sasuke took in another soft breath, closing his eyes. He didn't need to get used to this. Soon enough the sannin would come for him. A part of him kept this idea alive while the other tried to shoot it down anytime it could. A grunt from his sensei made him return to the present and open his eyes curiously. The man was snoring a bit, making his eye twitch with obvious annoyance.

_'I... I wonder..'_ He thought and looked to the door with wide eyes. He'd learned to be quiet while wandering the hideout, and this was definitely a safer situation than that. He shrugged and stood up silently, walking towards the entrance and slipping out slowly. Kakashi rolled onto his side, groaning at a crack of thunder. Sasuke flinched at the loud noise as shut the front door, turning and looking out over the village. No one was out. It seemed he was the only one. The boy sighed and calmed his bouncing nerves, taking one step towards the railing and gasping breathlessly as a fist nailed his stomach. The Uchiha fell back into the cement landing, eyes squeezed shut with the sudden pain.

"I knew he'd try to escape. Stupid, filthy brat." One anbu snarled and grabbed him around the throat, lifting him to his feet and jerking him to stand before him. Sasuke opened his eyes and glared in silent malice, humiliated at how helpless he was. He felt another fist drive into his middle, making him open his mouth in a silent gasp.

"Where were you going. Tell us and we might think twice about beating you senseless." The man holding him ordered, grip loosening enough for the child to take in shallow breaths. Sasuke panted in his hold as he tried to revive his oxygen deprived lungs.

"I-I wasn't going anywhere... I just... wanted to stretch my legs.." He coughed quietly, glare intensifying. The anbu snorted at his answer, once again tightening the hold around his thin neck.

"Probably going to go crawl back to his master. Mindless runt..." A female anbu snickered next to him, making Sasuke flare inside. He thrashed uselessly against them, feeling the seal on the back of his neck begin to throb. The boy slowed and moaned tiredly as he shut his eyes. He flinched as he heard Kakashi's door open.

"Hatake, you were supposed to watch him!" The anbu yelled, throwing Sasuke to the ground where he moaned and lie on his side. His strength had been zapped by the seal and all he could do was wait for the anbu to get the hell out of there. Kakashi looked down at the Uchiha, then returned his gaze to the masked ninja.

"I heard him leave. I knew he was trying to escape. I was listening to his footsteps. I would have known if he got too far away." He explained calmly, walking over to the child and helping him up. Sasuke's legs threaten to collapse under him and, before he could think of what he was doing, he grabbed onto Kakashi's vest for help. The man gave him a quick glance, easily holding up his thin frame, and returned to pinning the anbu with his grey eye.

"He's not allowed to be out of your sight. Next time he is, we aren't going to hold back. He is a criminal under strict rules, and we aren't going to give him any special treatment just because he's young." The ninja snarled and vanished, leaving the two to stand in the doorway. Sasuke looked down and shoved away from his guardian, stumbling and falling to his knees with a shaky moan. Kakashi sighed and dragged him back up, pulling him back into the room and sitting him down on the couch. The boy winced and rubbed the back of his neck, deliberately averting his eyes from Kakashi's.

"Sasuke, look at me," the man barked, deep voice instantly reminding Sasuke of his father and making him jump to attention. "Why were you trying to leave. Tell me the truth." Sasuke sighed and leaned back, tensing as Kakashi gripped the fabric of his pants tighter.

"I wanted to walk around... I didn't want to wait for you to get up... I... I haven't gotten this freedom in a long time..." He trailed off, not knowing why he was being so open. Maybe it was still bothering him that his voice reminded him _so_ much of Fugaku, and he had always feared his father. Although, most people had. Kakashi noticed his sudden obedience and dwelled on it for a while, surprised he was being so compliant.

"You know the rules, Sasuke. I also know you're aware that those anbu weren't lying. They _will_ kill you if given the smallest reason to." He said harshly, making the boy narrow his eyes and look down. He gave a simple nod to signal that he understood, and he flinched as a hand fell onto his shoulder. He looked up quickly, wincing as his eyes tried turning on again. His guardian was smiling at him.

"I'm happy you're back, Sasuke," he said kindly, patting and rubbing his back as he stood up, "Oh, and if you ever sneak off like that again I'll paralyze your legs." He added, pausing for a moment and staring at him. Sasuke looked down for a moment, uncomfortable with the intense look.

"What? Why are you looking at me like that?..." He asked, narrowing his eyes and grimacing as the man placed a hand on his forehead.

"You're feeling a bit hot.. You doing alright? Any chills or pains?" The older man asked, seeing the boy shake his head once. He never for sick. He'd thought Kakashi would have known that. The Uchiha paused, memories flashing in his head.

'Well, there was that one time...'He thought, remembering how he'd gotten ill during a mission when he was back on Naruto's team. Kakashi had taken care of him while Sakura swooned over his fever. He didn't actually remember what Naruto had done. He was half-conscious the entire trip. Kakashi sighed and pulled his hand back from his student's blazing skin.

"Looks like you got sick from standing in the rain. Probably just a cold." He said and began walking to the bathroom, opening the cabinet above the sink and rummaging through the numerous medicine bottles. Sasuke growled at the thought of being medicated.

"I'm fine. I don't need anything."

"Just to be safe, Sasuke. Drink this. It'll bring your fever down." The grey haired man advised and pulled out a bottle of pink liquid. It slapped against the inside of the bottle as he walked back to the couch, making the Uchiha chew on his lower lip uncomfortably. It certainly didn't look like it tasted good. Kakashi sat down next to him, pouring it into the bottle cap and holding it out to Sasuke. The boy shook his head, turning his nose up at the medicine.

"I'm not sick! I d-don't-" The boy cut himself off, realizing his voice had wavered. Kakashi grinned knowingly and pushed the cap against his lips.

"See? You can't even talk clearly. Now come on, drink it." He cooed, chuckling as the boy snatched it out of his hand. He turned to face away from the man, slowly drinking the pink medication and shuddering noticeably. It tasted _dreadful_. Utterly dreadful. He held the cap in the man's face, coughing a bit and trying to swallow.

"You know the longer it sits on your tongue the worst it'll taste-"

"Sh-Shut up! I'm not a child!" Sasuke barked angrily, gulping loudly as he finally forced it down. Immediately his stomach rejected it and he put a hand over his gut and mouth. A large hand rubbed his back as he shook a bit, making him mad and relieved at the same time. The nausea passed after a moment, leaving Sasuke panting and hacking loudly. Kakashi continued to rub his back, seeing as to how the boy accepted the calm gesture. This pleased him greatly. He wanted to help the boy, to be there with him and aid him in any way he possibly could. Sadly, though, the boy was very independent, and hardly ever asked anyone for any sort of help. In a way, the boy right now was accepting his help. The jounin smiled and dropped his hand, seeing Sasuke sigh contently and stare forward with dull eyes. He rubbed them a bit as his vision fogged.

"Th-That medicine..."

"Will help your nausea." Kakashi finished, walking towards the kitchen and turning on the stove. His hunger was getting the best of him. He hadn't even touched his soup at the restaurant, which made his stomach growl furiously. Sasuke held his head in his hands, exhaustion washing over him. A small spark of anger flared within him, but he ignored it, too tired to care for the flame like he usually did. Kakashi began getting out numerous vegetables, followed by a cutting board and a knife. Sasuke _was_ going to eat this time, wether he liked it or not. He'd have to go to the store tomorrow with the boy to pick out some of his own food. The only thing he knew, for certain, that he liked was tomatoes. The man made a mental checklist, circling tomatoes in red as he began cutting up the vegetables into small chunks. Sasuke moaned and lied down on the couch, back towards Kakashi. He muttered something and hugged himself a bit, closing his eyes and drifting. His guardian smiled a bit and continued making their dinner.

* * *

><p>The hound yelped again as it splashed through another puddle, short, nubby tail wagging as best it could. The dog sped up, leaping onto a rooftop and out of a group of people's sight. The mutt quieted as it reached the village gates, padding towards the exit with a tired expression. The jounin standing by watched it go, one whistling a bit and trying to get it to come. The dog continued walking, disappearing into the bushes and running a bit farther. The hound stopped at the man's feet, exploding into a puff of smoke immediately. A female sat in the smoke, head bowed respectively for the pale man.<p>

"He is here, though I cannot get closer to him. Kakashi Hatake and a group of elite anbu are watching him constantly." She spoke lifting her head and adjusting her dull glasses. The rain was making it hard to see. The ninja before her was silent, looking at the puddles of water around them as water droplets splashed against their surfaces. He chuckled and licked his pale lips, turning his yellow eyes towards his spy.

"You know what to do, Karin," he laughed in a deep voice. "If Sasuke-kun thinks those pesky annoyances will protect him, he's wrong. Pick them off, but," his voice dipped for a moment, giving off a warning air and making the red-head shiver, "leave Hatake to me... I have some troubles to settle with him." He finished, smirking darkly. Karin nodded and exploded into another mound of smoke, bounding off once again in her disguise. Her objective was clear: kill every anbu watching Sasuke, then report back to Orochimaru-sama. The thunder roared as she entered the village once again, making a beeline for Kakashi's apartment.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: <strong>Haha! There ya'll go! I would have updated faster but yesterday was meh birthday :) Haha, sorry about that. I do hope you liked the chapter. Not too much action... oops. Lol.

**Reviews are loved!**

_Nat_


	15. Chapter 15

**AN:** Hey again! Faster update this time! I hope you all enjoyed that.. Anyways, I am having a **bit of writer's block** for the upcoming chapters. I have a MAIN plot idea, but I wanted some good little ideas for some side plots and such. Haha. If anyone wants to help, leave an idea in a review or message me. :O I'd be overly grateful. :)

_Chapter Fifteen_

* * *

>Kakashi took in a deep breath as he wiped Sasuke's forehead once again, watching the boy squirm and toss around frantically under his tan sheets. The boy had gotten worse in his sleep, crying out inaudible words and coughing weakly. His sensei watched with sad eyes as the child shuddered and whimpered. He'd only seen Sasuke like this once in his entire life, so helpless and vulnerable. The grey-haired man rubbed his flushed cheek, using his other to press down the cool rag onto Sasuke's brow. The boy let his mouth open, squeaks emitting from his throat. Kakashi frowned and leaned back, hearing another frightened cry leave the boy.<p><p>

"N-No!" He begged someone the older ninja did not know, panting breathlessly and letting his head roll to the right a bit. His guardian sighed and caressed the child's cheek soothingly.

"Everything is alright, Sasuke... Kakashi is taking care of you." He whispered to the Uchiha, wondering if the boy could even hear him in such a state. Sasuke let out a small groan, arching his back slightly and coughing.

"Sensei!..." He gasped and coughed a bit more. The jounin blinked, surprised the boy had heard him. Or maybe it was coincidence. It did not matter. Kakashi removed the old rag from the boy's forehead, dunking it a few times in a small bowl sitting next to him and wringing it out afterwards. He gently placed it back onto his student's hot skin, seeing Sasuke press his head back into the pillow and let out a long groan.

"Kabu-... i-it..." He slurred and moaned, panting again after trailing off from his sentence, unfinished. Kakashi worriedly looked over his shaking form. He stood up and walked towards the stove, checking the soup he was cooking and seeing if it was hot enough yet. Sasuke cried out again and tossed his head weakly, letting out hurt whimpers as he breathed heavily. Kakashi poured a bowl of soup and made his way back to Sasuke, knowing the boy's body was begging for nutrients. He slid in behind the boy, letting him fall back against his chest with a groan, and gently lifted his chin up. The man looked over his hurt, flushed face, then opened his mouth enough to pour some soup in. Sasuke let out a long whine, shuffling more and making the rag on his forehead slip off onto the mattress. The Uchiha's breath hitched as the liquid was dripped slowly into his parted lips, whimpering and coughing as he tried to inhale. Kakashi rubbed his throat and tried to make him swallow.

"Swallow, Sasuke. It's good." He whispered gently, seeing the boy's eyebrows furrow in discomfort. He did swallow though, much to his sensei's surprise, and coughed a bit more. His chest heaved and he pressed his back into Kakashi's chest. The man continued till the boy cracked his eyes open, looking around in a daze. The Uchiha started whispering breathlessly, mouth hanging open between words. His guardian cocked an eyebrow and covered the boy's eyes.

"Rest, Sasuke." He told him, watching the boy relax immediately and let out a soft groan. Kakashi lied him down, walking back to the stove and getting his own bowl of soup.

_'Might as well eat while I wait..'_ he thought and began eating, eyes still glued to Sasuke.

* * *

>The last man fell to the ground, throat gushing blood. The dog sniffed over the corpses, barking a bit and pawing their pockets. Karin lifted her head as voices reached her ears, perking them up and leaping off the roof hurriedly.<p><p>

_'Orochimaru-sama... That should make you proud..'_ the dog thought and padded down the street, rain drenching her rusty-brown coat. The rain would easily wash away any evidence or scent she left behind. Karin pulled her lips back in a small, barely noticeable grin. She licked her lips and stopped as she approached the apartment complex, shaking the water off of her only to become dripping wet afterwards. The dog lifted her eyes to the third floor, scanning the rows of doors till she spotted the lightest and oldest looking one.

_'Hatake Kakashi... I hope Orochimaru-sama doesn't kill you. I want to play with you as well...,'_ Karin smiled and growled deep in her throat. _'And poor, little Sasuke... I'd hate to be in your shoes as well...'_ Karin closed her eyes and sat back on her haunches, taking a deep breath through her nose. She sensed them. Both of them. The dog gently moved her head to the side, a disheartened look crossing her face. Sasuke's chakra was fluctuating wildly. What was wrong with him? The girl got to her feet and made her way towards the stairs, paws splashing in the puddles standing in the road. Yes. The Uchiha's chakra was out of control. It seemed something was wrong. Perhaps he was sick.

_'Oh yes. His curse mark was sealed not too long ago... His immune system will be weak for a while longer. What a perfect opportunity to test him... No. Orochimaru said that Kakashi would be his job... Might as well follow orders..'_ she thought and turned, leaping onto another rooftop and heading back towards the gates.

* * *

>Kakashi flipped to the next page in his book, eyeing Sasuke as the child sat up slowly.<p><p>

"Good afternoon, Sasuke. You awake?" He asked, remembering what had happened a few hours ago. The boy had risen and seemed to have finally woken up, but Kakashi had allowed him to get up and walk into the bathroom and immediately realized his misunderstanding as he heard the boy collapse on the tile floor. That had gotten the boy a nice bruise on his forehead, which looked pretty bad from where he was sitting. Sasuke groaned and rubbed his head tenderly. It was pounding furiously.

"Kashi?..." He whispered questionably, wondering what was going on. His thoughts were foggy and deluded by his drowsiness. The Uchiha dropped his head into his palms and moaned quietly. Kakashi sat his book onto the table and walked over to the boy. He rubbed his back gently.

"Sasuke? What hurts?" He asked seriously, wanting to help the, obviously, pained boy. Sasuke looked up with lidded eyes.

"M'head... hurts.. What ha-appened.." He grunted in annoyance, drooping back into Kakashi's pillow. The man picked up the rag beside him and whetted it again, patting the boy's head and wiping sweat away.

"I had... a bad dream." He mumbled quietly, coughing a bit and shuddering as the cloth sat over his eyes. The cool material felt like heaven on his burning skin. The older male rubbed his face a bit, feeling just how high his temperature was.

"What was it about, Sasuke? Can you tell me?" He asked gently, curious to see if, in his weakened state, he would open up a bit. The Uchiha parted his lips and breathed shallowly, licking them when they became dry.

"Y-Yea... My curse mark was out of control... and he was there... Red..." He trailed off, shivering and whimpering. Kakashi placed his hand on this head, slowly stroking through his hair. The Uchiha quivered under his touch, kicking a bit.

"Was it your big brother?"

"Aniki!... Don't go..." He pleaded softly, lower lip quivering and tears dripping down his flushed cheeks. His guardian blinked in surprise. He hadn't been expecting such a reaction. He slowly, and carefully, pulled the child into a loose hug. The Uchiha curled into him, sniffling.

"I-I want my aniki..." He begged breathlessly, clutching the man's shirt in a tight fist. Kakashi looked down at him in confusion. He _wanted_ Itachi? No. Outrageous. He hated the man's very name, definitely couldn't stand him in person. He was probably hallucinating. He did have a high fever.

"Sasuke, it's ok. Relax." He said in a deep voice, making Sasuke look up with watery eyes. He blinked once, salty tears spilling over his cheeks as he opened his mouth a bit.

"Fa-... ther?" He whispered fearfully, eyes rolling back as he passed out against the man's chest.

* * *

>Naruto knocked on his sensei's door, pushing back his damp, blond bangs.<p><p>

"Kakashi-sensei!.. Sasuke? You there?" He called, seeing his teacher open the door and motion him to come in. The boy smiled and stepped inside. He stopped as he saw Sasuke sitting at the kitchen table, leaning onto it with his eyes closed. The blond turned and gave Kakashi a confused look.

"He's sick. He just woke up. It's alright. You should talk with him a bit." He suggested, smiling under his mask and nudging his tan student forward. Sasuke cracked his eyes open and sat up unsteadily.

"Naruto?..." He asked with half-lidded eyes. The other smiled in return, sitting down next to his friend.

"Hey, Sasuke... You feeling alright?" He laughed a bit, looking the frail Uchiha over with interest. The pale boy rubbed his head and looked down at his soup.

"Why are you here? I thought.." The boy trailed off, failing to answer Naruto's question. The blond once again looked at his sensei, seeing the man chuckling behind his book.

"Medicine and hunger." He said simply. The younger ninja nodded in realization as he looked back at Sasuke. The Uchiha was scooping up his soup in his spoon, smelling it and sipping it slowly. It was tomato, the only one he'd even try to eat. Naruto wasn't surprised. Once, before the boy had left, they had gone on a fairly long mission to wind country. He remembered seeing Sasuke only eating tomatoes, and he also remembered throwing one at him as joke. A small smile pulled at Naruto's lips. Sasuke had been _so_ pissed at him. The blond was pulled back into reality as Sasuke coughed loudly, moaning and dropping the silverware. Naruto reached over and rubbed his back. The Uchiha coughed again and gave him a tired look. Kakashi sighed and stood, picking up a medicine bottle and walked over. He crouched next to his student and poured the medicine into the cap. Sasuke groaned and leaned back, throwing his hands up in front of him.

"No more!" He ordered and shook his head, turning away from the strong-scented liquid. Kakashi sighed and gave the boy a tired look.

"It'll help your cough, Sasuke."

"I don't care! I don't want it!" He yelled, choking as the man grabbed hold of his chin. The boy whimpered and squeezed his eyes shut as his mouth was forced open. Kakashi dripped the liquid into his mouth, sputtering and coughing as it choked him.

"Swallow it, Sasuke." Kakashi advised calmly. The Uchiha flushed and did as he was told, coughing as his throat tightened and choked him up. Naruto rubbed his back comfortingly. The Uchiha gave him a sour look, shrinking back away from his touch. The door was knocked on the next moment and Sasuke gasped and looked at it with wide eyes. Kakashi stood and walked to the door, taking a step back as it was thrown open, four anbu ran in, two restraining Sasuke against the wall. Naruto stood quickly, knocking his chair back at the sudden movement and making it hit the tile floor.

"Sasuke! What- What's going on!" He ordered, another ninja pulling him out of the house.

"Hatake Kakashi, the guards placed around the village that were supposed to be watching you were murdered early this morning. The rain has washed most evidence away, but the wounds are sloppy and mismatched. We believe Sasuke is the murderer."

"Imossible. He has been with me this entire time. He's sick. He can't even walk, let alone take out five anbu." Kakashi snapped quickly, shrugging another anbu's hand off of his shoulder. Sasuke lurched and sagged in the older ninja's holds. The one to his right shook him roughly.

"Fucking traitor. I knew we should have killed him when we had the chance." He grumbled, making Sasuke jolt and stare at him with glazed, fearful eyes. Naruto struggled as he was yanked out of the apartment.

"Let go! Get off of me!"

"Shut up. Hokage-sama wants a word with you. It's about Sasuke again." The man said in a grim voice, dragging him off down the flight of cement stairs. Kakashi growled and made an attempt to reach his sick student. The anbu held him back, also bringing him out and into the cold air. Sasuke whimpered as he was forced to his knees on the floor. He quivered and coughed loudly, rubbing his chakra seal gingerly. The anbu stood on either side of him, watching him silently.

"Why are you... doing this?" He asked quietly, foggy mind only able to comprehend the pain coursing through his body and the other ninja's presence. The anbu snorted and grabbed the back of his head, forcing him to look down at the floor. He whimpered at their forceful touch.

"Don't speak to us." The man ordered. Sasuke coughed again and vomited onto the floor, collapsing onto his side in a shaking heap. He lied there for a while, eyes slipping shut slowly. The world around him grew murky and confusing, and the two loud thumps that sounded next to him were muffled. It was only when a cold hand cupped his cheek did he open his eyes once again.

"Sasuke-kun... I've missed you so much..." The deep voice scent shivers up Sasuke's spine.

"O-O-Orochimaru?" He choked out, feeling a hand grab a glob of his black hair. He caught a glimpse of the golden-yellow eyes before a fist connected with the side of his face. The Uchiha hit the floor, eyes rolling at the force of the blow. The boy let out a weak groan and closed his eyes, crying out as the next blow came.

"How dare you leave like that.. After we were about to make you so strong." The snake chuckled, grabbing the boy's chin and lifting his head to make them meet eyes. Sasuke gasped at the painful grip, instinctively grabbing the man's wrist and clawing.

"Th-They captured me... You left me for days.. I couldn't do anything because of your.. _fucking_ curse mark."

"My fucking curse mark?" the grip tightened considerably, bringing a sharp yell from the boy. "That mark gives you power, Sasuke. That mark makes you worthy of life. Before I came along, your life wouldn't have mattered if it ended or continued." Orochimaru hissed angrily, throwing him back against the floor. Sasuke lied unmoving, utterly exhausted. The older man laughed at his weak composure.

"You need to be punished for disrespecting your sensei in such an outright fashion. You remember what I told you back at the base, don't you?" the man yanked up the young ninja's arms, pulling them ruthlessly behind his back. "I am not afraid to hurt this body. If need be, Kabuto can fix it up easily." Orochimaru breathed in his ear and gripped his wrists tighter. Sasuke gasped and lifted his head, eyes wide and sweat dripping down his face. His fever was burning him up and the man was no help at all.

"D-Don't..." He whispered helplessly. The next minute, he screeched, arms being yanked and twisted out of socket. The sanin dropped the Uchiha back to the carpeted floor, grinning and licking his lips at the delicious noise of cracking bones and agonized screams. Sasuke didn't receive a chance to recover, coughing as a foot met his stomach. Blood-red ribbons cascaded down his chin like sick tears from his opened mouth. They dripped onto the carpet and were soaked in slowly. Orochimaru grabbed the boy's hair and threw him against the wall, pinning him with his muscular arm.

"Now, Sasuke-kun," he said in the child's face excitingly, hot breath hitting the boy's busted lips. "You see how weak you still are? I still have so much to teach you. Did you think you could run off and complete your revenge without me? I _am_ the only one who can make you stronger. I gave you power, weapons, training. All of that and you still return to this place. This village _reeks_ of weakness. What do you think they have to offer you?" He hissed angrily, tongue snaking out and trailing to Sasuke's mark. The boy stared with shaking orbs, lips parted a bit as shaky, uneven breaths filled his lungs. The wet muscle slipped over the black seal, dragging a shriek from the frail boy. The mark flared to life and ate up the boundary seal for the second time, spreading sluggishly across the boy's pale skin like worms. Sasuke tossed his head, panting breathlessly at the indescribable burning sensation. His eyes pulsed as they attempted to activate, chakra veins constricting and flaring as they begged for chakra which couldn't be given. The man frowned at the boy's, still, coal-black eyes. He wanted to see red, blazing orbs surrounded by grey flesh. He wanted to see the monster he had created.

"Have you even allowed them to seal off your chakra? You helpless mouse." He laughed and allowed the Uchiha to slide down the wall, who landed with a soft thud and dropped his head bonelessly. His arms shook in agony, fingers twitching as he tried to clutch his searing shoulder. Orochimaru squatted in front of the boy, lifting his chin and smiling.

"Once I set my plan in motion and destroy this village, I will return to you. Your body will be mine, and I will finish your training for you." He explained in a low voice, hand rubbing Sasuke's bruises cheek gently. The child shook and groaned weakly, falling forward as he passed out. The man vanished before the boy's forehead met his chest, allowing him to hit the floor in a crumple heap.

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><strong>AN:<strong> Haha, there ya' have it. Lots of weak Sasuke, which I happen to adore with a burning passion of one-thousand hot bowls of chili (yea, I just said that), and a lot more cursing then usual. I apologize if it wasn't the greatest. xD SO much talking, too... I guess it's better then describing every little thing going on, like, lets say, what the carpet looks like. LOLOLOL. I fail like that sometimes, so sue me. Anyways, again-

**I've hit a little bump in the road. I wanted some small options of what could happen in the upcoming chapters before the whole main plot comes back into play. Ones that you all would enjoy to see. Lawl. I am sorry if it isn't your style to leave reviews, but I encourage anyone and everyone to toss out an idea. Although, even if I don't get any ideas, I can always come up with some I can think of.. Lol, though THAT would be a disaster probably. LOLOLOL.**

**Reviews are always enjoyably accepted!**

_Nat_


	16. Chapter 16

****Lol. Been a while? Duh. And as I type this, I watch Family Guy. *smirk*****

**Throwing a bone out to Rosebunse! I'm accepting her idea about Sasuke getting memory loss. Yep, I'm gonna' just run with that and add some other requests in. ^^ Sorry if you weren't a fan of that idea. Perhaps, you can ask for a twist? I sincerely apologize, but it just seems to open up doors for where the story can go, as well as bonding opportunities.**

**I don't own Naruto.**

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><p>Ibiki sighed and wiped his knuckles clean of the red blood staining them. Tsunade had ordered Sasuke to have yet another interrogation, though he hadn't understood why exactly. Sasuke had purged everything in their last session. What else was Tsunade searching for? Not to mention his sensei had thrown a complete fit over the plan. The man could swear his ears were still ringing.<p>

The man had a point, though. The brat was sick; a complete idiot could see that. Whoever had roughed him up a few days ago certainly had it in for the kid.

"P-Please," the Uchiha croaked from his position on the floor, a pile of vomit not too far from his head. Ibiki turned to the child with calm eyes. "Please, stop," the pale child begged weakly. He looked up at the older male with glistening eyes. Somehow, they seemed rife with deceit. He was acting.

"Oh, shut up," the man snapped curtly, watching Sasuke narrow his eyes in anger before closing them in exhaustion.

"Bastard... Fucking bastard," he whispered under his breath and coughed as the front of his shirt was grabbed, yanking him into a sitting position. Ibiki glared at the Uchiha without remorse, eyes becoming slits as the young rogue spat onto his face. "I've told you... all I know. W-what else could you possible want to... hear?" he winced and squeezed his eyes shut as the man jerked him closer.

"Maybe we'd be done with all this if you'd stop spewing crap about your clan. I _know_ about that. I was there. I saw you after they scraped you off the road. We both know that, or is that something _I_ should tell _you_?" Ibiki snarled in the younger's face, making Sasuke flush with anger. He didn't take much of what his interrogator had said personally. But this? This hit home, something Sasuke didn't let anyone touch or speak of.

The older man smirked slightly at the boy's reaction. It was obvious now how much the Uchiha loathed that comment. This pleased him. Perhaps, he'd talk if he pestered him more?

"Don't tell me you've forgotten that, traitor. I may have a guess as to who beat you up last week. Was it, possibly, your big brother?" Ibiki teased flauntingly, loving the weak struggles Sasuke was creating. "Did big brother come and hurt you? You're pathetic, Uchiha, you know that?"

"Shut the fuck _up_," the boy responded hoarsely, coughing at the pain his throat emitted at his attempt to yell. A slap was all he received and his body collapsed to the floor in a shivering heap, Ibiki having let go of his shirt front.

"How about you tell me how the hell you managed to kill all those Anbu agents, then I'll let you leave and go hide behind your delusional sensei."

"I didn't kill them! I... He.." The words narrowly escaped his mind, leaving his mouth agape without a noise emitting from it. The older ninja cocked his head to the side in confusion, along with slight curiosity. He was finally spilling some more. Perhaps, Tsunade had been acting on genius instinct to order another questioning. The scar-covered man crouched before the quivering mess of a ninja, shaking out a hand in preparation to punch- in case the boy hit another patch of stubbornness.

"Want to enlighten me, boy?" he pried, reaching out to fist a gloved hand into Sasuke's sweat-drenched, black locks. The Uchiha groaned as his head was yanked up off the floor, ebony orbs squinted dangerously. "Who's 'He'? How did he kill those agents?" Another glob of bloody spit hit his face, and another fist connected with Sasuke's bruised jaw.

The pale child gasped in response, for he was too exhausted to do much else, and hit the stone floor hard. Crimson saliva slipped out of the corner of his mouth, dribbling down his cheek and pooling beneath his head. It took a minute for his eyes to un-haze themselves, but after they did they rolled to glare at Ibiki furiously.

"I've told you... everything," he whispered simply, closing his eyes as he was rolled roughly onto his back. His interrogator stood over him mockingly.

"Like I should believe that. Just tell me how you killed them. I bet if you suck some more dick, the council will think twice about giving you the death sentence." Sasuke tensed as he heard the insult, gritting his teeth and feeling a surge of rage wash through his veins. He didn't want to admit to them how Orochimaru had betrayed him, how he'd been completely fooled and blinded by the snake's words. It was humiliating. The Uchiha winced as a fist drove into his gut. "Talk, runt." Ibiki reminded the child.

Oh, how he wished he could think something up to say, something to infuriate the older man. But, he couldn't. All curt remarks eluded him and left him lying silent under his captor. The older man paused a moment and pressed a finger to his ear, as if hearing a message. Sasuke watched in silence, still trying to think of something aggravating to say. He snarled with rage as he still couldn't.

Ibiki grunted something in response to whatever words he was hearing, begrudgingly hauling Sasuke up and off the floor. The Uchiha was shoved into the chair he had started out in, slumping tiredly over the table as he was strapped down once again.

"Tsunade says you'll get an hour break. You're dehydrated to a point where if we did anymore, we may lose you," the man said in a gruff voice, shoving an iv into the crook of the Uchiha's arm. Sasuke gasped in surprise, over-sensitized body multiplying the pinching feeling into a stabbing jolt. A sharp yelp slipped past his chapped lips as he grew accustomed to the pain, watching as a steady drip slid down the plastic pipe down into his veins. The young ninja struggled slightly, remembering what they'd given him last time. A poison, of some sort, one that made him insufferably weak. He hadn't had even the strength to lift his own head.

_'Bastards... think I can't... get out of this damn chair?'_ the porcelain-skinned boy thought angrily, tugging and pulling and yanking at his leather restraints. They simply moaned a bit at his rigorous, jerky movements, holding strong throughout his struggle. With a heavy sigh, the Uchiha dropped his head in defeat and panted. He was already drained of energy, and after doing almost nothing at all. Perhaps, the bastards were correct.

A few minutes of silence passed, unsurprising to Sasuke. He was alone. Who would he talk to even if he did decide to speak? Certainly not himself. That'd win him a nice sedative, though, after mulling over that fact temporarily, it didn't seem like such a bad idea. While unconscious, one could not be asked questions, nor answer them. It would get him out of this mess for a short while. But, he wasn't sure they'd even bother sedating him. With how Ibiki had been treating him so far, the man would, most likely, simply decide to punch him into a black abyss himself. Sasuke did not enjoy that route.

Maybe, he thought, he should just talk; explain to them how Orochimaru had returned, how he'd nearly beaten him to death and killed his guards. Would they believe him if he did, or would they blow it off as a lie; a scapegoat to get him off the hook for murder? Perhaps, but, I was worth a try, wasn't it? The Uchiha lifted his head as he concluded his inward conflict, taking a deep breath through his nose before exhaling out his mouth. It calmed him in a minuscule way, but he would take any sort of comfort right now greedily, in fact.

The young teen's coal-black eyes roamed the walls surrounding him for a moment, seeking something to advise him on what time it was. Nothing. Not a single clock in sight. No window, either, though that didn't throw him off at all. This was an interrogation office, not a living room. Another annoyed growl rumbled in his throat and diaphram and the boy narrowed his eyes. Had Ibiki said an hour, or two hours? How long had he been here so far? Oh, how he wanted to rub his temples in thought, but, alas, the leather encircling him denied his request. They stayed put, keeping his thin limbs tight against his side and the arms of his chair. His head continued to throb, nevertheless, and after no more than three minutes, Sasuke could have screamed with rage.

Couldn't they just give him some damn medication for just a _moment_? What harm would it do? They wouldn't even have to prick him; just insert it into his iv pouch. The Uchiha craned his neck to try and see the door behind him, contemplating whether or not he should yell or keep his trap shut. A tough decision, indeed. Even more so when your head feels like its being whacked with a sledgehammer. They'd probably ignore him if he yelled, thinking he was just pissed. Maybe they'd check anyways, just to see what he was doing? The boy sighed heavily, deciding it was worth a try. Sasuke opened his mouth, pausing before saying anything.

What if Orochimaru found out he'd cracked under their power? Wouldn't he just lose all interest in letting him keep his body? Well, he seemed to have already done that, but he was prepared to explain reasons as to why he should be able to keep it. Of course, his sensei wasn't usually one to listen. So many decisions to make, and he was already exhausted and aching physically.

The boy waited a few more minutes, trying to suffer through his throbbing headache, but failing in the end. He gave a small yell, hoping they'd think he was trying to break free and come in. Right after he'd made the sound he regretted it. Calling for help was so shameful, and he wasn't fond of medications. Anytime he'd gotten sick with Orochimaru he'd pushed through it with little to no help most of the time. Unless he was in terrible condition, the sannin didn't take heed to the child's symptoms. If he could live through constant nausea, broken fingers and small concussions, he'd most certainly make it through a migraine brought on by a lack if hydration. Never had he thought of himself so weak that he had to call on others for help.

While the child thought, the door behind him crashed open. Ibiki stamped up to the Uchiha in frustration, scratching his chest before getting a firm grip on Sasuke's chin.

"Listen here, you little shit," he snarled venomously, making the younger male narrow his eyes. "It's late, so others are trying to rest. Don't you dare scream again, or I'll forget how long it's been and continue your interrogation."

"Like I give a damn about their rest," Sasuke replied, raising his voice purposefully. A sharp stinging erupted from the left side of his face, a red hand print forming on his bruised cheek. Ibiki glared down at him ferociously.

"One of those people resting includes me. You think trying to make you talk is easy? I'll sew you're mouth shut, prick," he warned, following it up with another harsh slap to the face. Sasuke spat blood, both cheeks burning intensely. Maybe talking would help, but his damn pride wouldn't let him, so he sat in silence as the man left the room.

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><p>Kakashi stood, once again, before the Hokage's desk, his blond student by his side. They had been questioned numerous times, asked over and over again about where they had been the past few days and all they knew about the recent murders. Kakashi, being already nervous about what was happening to Sasuke, watched the amber-eyed woman before him with exhausted and aggravated eyes. Naruto was no better off, shoulders tense and back stiff in attention. Though, Kakashi knew he was giving little of it. The Hokage's words were probably falling on deaf, young ears. He knew good and well what his tan student was focussing on- that being his friend, Sasuke- and didn't want to be here in the slightest.<p>

Tsunade looked them over tiredly. She also seemed bored of repeating herself, blonde pigtails drooping over her shoulders sloppily. It seemed she hadn't had much sleep lately due to all the ruckus.

"I understand you two have given all the information you can, but the village is in utter chaos with the murders. I have no choice but to keep up with what I promised to do, which is finding out who did this and putting am end to him," she said in a stern voice, void of any exhaustion her appearance had led the others to believe she harbored. Naruto's wrists cracked noticeably as he clenched his hands into fists, catching his sensei's watchful eye.

The grey-haired jounin placed a calloused hand on the youth's shoulder, silently telling him to relax and control his temper. Tsunade waited till his stance shifted back to simple annoyance rather than the hostility he had just shown. She pursed her pink lips once, then continued: "I do not believe Sasuke had a hand in any of the recent event-"

"Then let him go. He accepted our rules and stayed true to his word; there is no need to punish him for crimes he didn't commit. Why are you keeping him if you believe he is innocent?" Naruto cut in curtly, anger returning to his sharp, blue orbs. He took a threatening step toward the woman, but Kakashi tightened his grip on the boy's shoulder and kept him steady.

"Naruto-"

"No, Kakashi, he has a right to be upset with me," Tsunade explained, waving the man off. He did reluctantly, receiving a warning glare from the tan youth. He returned his cold gaze to the amber-eyed female, his own orbs blazing with resentment. "The council has advised me to keep him under our careful watch, just to calm down the villagers. If we let him go while they still believed he did all those crimes, they'd certainly riot. Having him here leads them to believe all is safe. Further more, we don't need anyone attacking him when and if he does return to living with Kakashi," the Hokage finished, seeing the blond boy cock an eyebrow.

"_If_ he leaves? What the hell do you mean 'if he leaves', Granny? Of course he'll leave! He's innocent! You said you think so yourself!"

"I'm not positive, Naruto. Just because you think something, doesn't make it true. Just like you thought Sasuke would never go to Orochimaru," Tsunade stated bluntly. The young ninja before her went rigid, face becoming sorrowful. His gaze slowly fell to the floor, knowing she was right. The older woman almost regretted reminding him, but she knew it was for the better.

"Sasuke is being interrogated to see if he knows anything about these events. So far, Ibiki has gotten nothing out of him. He believes he is holding back information."

"Ibiki?" Kakashi asked aloud, though he hadn't meant to. The sudden anxiety had allowed his thoughts to slip out. He had seen what the interrogator could do, seen the criminals after he'd finished with them. It only made his stomach ache more with the knowledge that Sasuke was probably in utter agony right now and he was helpless to do anything about it.

Naruto, too, had flinched at the name, remembering the burly man he'd met during the chuunin exams so long ago. He'd been intimidated greatly back then, though he'd gotten over that after realizing he was an ally. Though, in this case, he was not Sasuke's. His friend was probably being put through the most gruesome of tortures. His imagination began forming up ideas as to what he was having to percerviere through, and the blond almost felt nauseated after a moment of thinking about it. How could Tsunade do that? Yes, her reasons about keeping him locked up made complete sense. Yes, it made sense that they needed to ask him questions. But under _Ibiki_, a master interrogator? They had no right.

"Yes, Kakashi, Ibiki. Most of my Anbu squads are out patrolling the village walls and streets, Using Ibiki will take less time and men. It was the only option. I trust Ibiki to not put his emotions before reason, something the others would do in a heartbeat," the blonde female responded to Kakashi's question. The man didn't seem any less worried, but she brushed it off. She had to do what was best for her village, the whole, not for these two ninja. Though, seeing Naruto in mental turmoil weighed heavily on her. She cared dearly for the boy.

After a few moments of silence, the Hokage dismissed them. They left without a word.

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><p>Sasuke panted on the floor, unable to move. He had finally cracked, purged everything he knew to Ibiki. As he'd imagined, the man didn't believe him fully. He'd just received the most brutal blow to the back of his head, and now he simply waited for it to be over. He'd simply have to let the truth sink in. He couldn't force the older ninja to believe him instantly, though he wished he could.<p>

"You're completely worthless, Uchiha scum. Stop spitting lies. If Orochimaru had gotten to you in Kakashi's apartment, the Anbu _right outside_ would have known. Don't ever think so low of their abilities," Ibiki warned harshly, landing another blow on the boy's stomach with a well-aimed kick. The child sputtered up blood, a small moan slipping from his bloodied, swollen, and bruised lips.

"Obviously, they lack attentiveness," he whispered in a hoarse voice, gasping as yet another pain-filled punch hit his battered body. The child felt a gloved hand fist into the back of his hair and his body was yanked roughly up off the floor. Hot breath hit his nose and he knew he was face to face with his current captor. The obvious spike in the older's chakra also led him to realize the man was furious. Before further sensing just how mad he'd made the interrogator, a solid punch hit his temple dead on, and he felt his lithe body fall to the floor once again. The sound of the other's fist making contact with his skull reverberated in his mind, and the darkness crept up on him instantly.

He welcomed blissful unconsciousness, embracing it as he went limp under Ibiki's piercing eyes.

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><p>Warmth surrounded him, he noticed quickly. A blanket, perhaps? Where was he, and why didn't he remember falling asleep here? The Uchiha stilled as a feminine voice reached his ears, though it was strong and confident. Sasuke trembled slightly, not completely out of fear. More so out of anxiousness. A hand fell onto his forehead and he couldn't keep himself from moving any longer. The pale boy shot up, yelling at all the pain he felt from the action. The hand forced him back down and his ears filled with the sound of clanking iron. He was restrained, for some reason he did not know.<p>

"Sasuke, relax," the woman's voice said. To him? He did not know that, either. And if she was referring to him, what had she called him? Sasuke? Was that his name? The child whimpered in bewilderment, upset that he was so confused.

"Don't touch me," he warned quietly, though the threat came off as pleading. "I... I don't know who you are, but leave me be," he finished, frustrated that his voice had wavered toward the beginning. That'd give his bluff away for sure. Silence was all he heard in response, though. Not a pleasant silence at all. Sasuke shivered as he waited for a sound, waited for the woman to either explain herself or continue whatever she had planned to do to him.

Tsunade stood over the Uchiha, amber-eyes narrowed in frustration. So, Ibiki had lost control. Anger began to boil in the pit of her stomach as she thought over their new predicament. Before she could get far, Sasuke's voice reached her once more.

"I know you're still there. I can hear you're breathing. I said leave me alone," he hissed again, eyes still tightly squeezed shut. Tsunade wondered if he was scared to open them.

"Sasuke, it's Tsunade," she told the injured boy in a more soothing voice, wondering if he just didn't recognize her voice. Then why was he acting so jumpy? Fear was a foreign language to Sasuke. The Uchiha ground his teeth together and opened his left eye, staring up at Tsunade blankly.

"You keep calling me that- Sasuke. I-... That's my name?" he asked after silence had filled the room. The blonde was still a bit shocked, fury almost blinding her vision. All the information he could have still held gone. Utterly wiped clean. Now, finding Orochimaru was going to be almost twice as difficult, and it all could have been avoided if not for her blind trust she had put in Ibiki. He'd certainly get an earful when the time was right. Though, that was not the goal right now. She couldn't let word of this spread. That would show how desperate she and the Anbu were to get information, meaning the situation was out of hand. No, she couldn't let this get out.

Without answering Sasuke, who sat up after realizing the woman was fuming, she turned around and stamped out the door. The black-haired boy sat in silence for a while, shivering more as the cold air washed over his porcelain skin. Why had that woman left so hurriedly? Was he being held hostage? That would explain why he was chained up by such odd devices. They had seals over them, but for what reason he did not know. Was he powerful and called for such restraint? Sasuke certainly didn't feel powerful at the moment, so he decided against that thought.

Before he had time to further analyze his situation, two men barged in with their faces hidden. The Uchiha jumped and raised his one free arm defensively, but found himself in too much pain to fight them off as he was yanked off the bed and down the hall. The last thing he saw before blackness devoured his vision was the blonde woman, her arms crossed with an aggravated look spread across her attractive features.

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><p><strong> Ta-daaaa.~ I give you... uhm, this! :3 I do hope you enjoyed it. I tried putting a lot of torture in, seeing as to how I'm messed up in the head and find it pleasing. If you think otherwise, let me know. I don't want to offend anyone. :) I apologize for such a long wait. I was having an affair with my other story, which I kinda' still am. No worries, though! I'll update this again in the coming weeks. <strong>

**Reviews are swooned over, along with requests!**

_Nat_


	17. Chapter 17

****Yay! Happy feedback! 8D Thank ya', you little dumplings.~****

**I popped this one out quick for such good behavior. ;D Lol, I'm such a freak :/...**

**I dun own Naruto. If I did, it'd probably be a show about a brothel :)... Sexy sex, yes.**

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><p>Sasuke paced his small room quietly, fear and anxiety filling the pit of his stomach. Why was he put here? Being all alone for so many hours was driving him mad. Though, he didn't particularly <em>want<em> people around. He was quickly realizing he wasn't a social butterfly, but perhaps a loner. He didn't really remember if he had friends or not, so further investigating would have to wait. All he had to figure himself out was his feelings on basic things. Take, for example, being held in this room for at least an hour. His reaction: utterly aggravated, with a pinch of fear.

The boy sat down on the bed, which was hard and cold, and rested his chin in his palms. Why had that woman been so upset? It seemed like she'd known him, but he didn't know her. Also, who had those men been, and what was with the odd masks? Sasuke took a deep sigh, flopping back onto his bed and raising his wrist to examine it again. The device was still there, huge and heavy and annoying the _fuck_ out of him. The black-eyed child paused. He wondered why he was so ticked off, and at such a little thing.

Sasuke jumped as the door was thrown open, the blonde woman appearing in the doorway.

"Why am I in here? Why can't I remember anything?" he yelled quickly, desperate for answers. The older female seemed to ignore him, walking closer and brushing a few stray bangs out of his face before pressing her manicured fingers against his forehead.

"Take it easy, Sasuke," she grumbled under her breath, making said boy grimace and narrow his eyes. He smacked her hand off, ignoring the fear growing in the back of his mind.

"Don't tell me to take it easy! You throw me in this room, I can't remember my own name, and you... you strap this," he yanked at his chakra restraint uselessly, "damn thing on me! What the hell is going on? Am I a criminal or something?" he screamed furiously, gasping as he was shoved onto his bed forcefully. He shuddered wildly, feeling a surge of energy wash through him and relax his muscles. His jaw went slack before another string of curses could slip through his bruised and busted lips. The Uchiha once again was overcome with confusion. Why was his body beat-up? Did he get in a fight? Perhaps these people had to control him when he was caught.

Tsunade watched as Sasuke stilled under her touch, chakra forcing his body to become pliant. The blonde took in a long breath, letting her large chest rise and fall slowly. What ever was she going to do, now? What _could_ she do now? Without the memory of his crimes, holding a trial was pointless- no, it was downright stupid. How could he be held responsible if he did not know what he had done? But, she couldn't just let him off the hook. He had hurt Naruto, Sakura, and attempted to destroy the village. Not to mention the numerous lives he had taken while under the teachings of Orochimaru. Tsunade lifted her hand off and away from Sasuke's warm skin, rubbing her own forehead in stressful thought. What was she going to do with him? she asked herself once again.

Sasuke watched the older woman quietly, body still unresponsive to his mind's commands. What had she done to him? That shockwave he'd felt the moment her fingers had touched him, the sudden loss of control, it amazed and frightened him. What was it- this power? Baffled and slightly dizzy, the Uchiha whimpered out a weak, "What... What did you do to m-me? Your fingers.." Though it was pitiful, he tried his best to look more fierce. The lady responded by arching a thin eyebrow, taken aback by his question apparently. The next moment, she narrowed her amber-colored eyes and ground her teeth together.

"Damn that Ibiki. I never should have trusted him to stay calm," the blonde hissed threateningly, making the child below her shudder slightly. Who was Ibiki? "Look at the mess he made of you... You probably don't even remember Naruto, do you? And it seems you've completely forgotten about chakra. I guess that isn't too bad, though. Maybe now you'll be easier to control."

"What do you mean? Why do you need to control me? I'm a criminal, aren't it," he said more like it was a statement, though there was a hint of worry in his raspy voice. Tsunade sighed and turned away from the boy, once again ignoring his questions. Sasuke growled and sat up slowly, body still not allowing him to go much faster, and shot a merciless glare toward the older female. "I'm talking to you! Answer me!" he finally shouted, stopping as he met Tsunade's flaring, beautiful orbs. They seemed to glow with her burning resentment toward him.

"I hear you, brat. It's up to me whether I decide to inform you or not. Now lie down, you're in no position to be moving around," the Hokage ordered and shoved the young rogue back down on the mattress, pulling a pained gasp from him as she did so. She didn't care, though, and applied more pressure onto the child's bruised and patched-up chest. "Hear me, Uchiha?"

Sasuke responded with a low growl, a spark of realization hitting him. Uchiha- he was an Uchiha. But what exactly was that, again? It did not matter. Whatever it was, he took great pride, and shame, in it. The emotions confused him. But, he masked his inner struggle expertly, even if he did not remember practicing it before.

"I asked did you _hear_ me, Uchiha," the woman ordered roughly, manicured hand finding and grasping onto Sasuke's chin. The boy let out a small whimper, but kept up his glare even though his injured face was pulsing and throbbing horribly. The pale, young ninja shuddered and dropped his fierce gaze, though, after feeling another wave of energy wash over him and paralyze him once more. This time it held a powerful feel to it, which made him want to cower into the cold sheets below him without giving a second thought to his pride. Whatever this energy was, it sparked curious jealously within his heart. But, for some reason, Sasuke felt like he already knew this force; he had already possessed this power once, but somehow been stripped of it.

"Yes," he hissed as the hold the woman had on him tightened greatly. She smirked a bit at his compliance, smirked at how easily her chakra bent the boy to her will. It was almost comical, if not a bit saddening, how much the child had changed after losing his memories. Perhaps it was better this way. An Anbu approached from his stand by the door, bowing respectfully as his Hokage turned to hear whatever he had to say.

"My Lady, Kakashi Hatake and Naruto Uzumaki have arrived. They wish to speak with you concerning Sasuke Uchiha," the masked man explained, head remaining low. Sasuke gave him a spiteful look, wondering why they were so respectful to this woman. Their behavior reminded him of dogs, trained to lick at their master's feet without a word of defiance. How pathetic.

"I would have been surprised if they weren't. Stay here and watch him until I return. I don't want him injuring himself more. Don't speak to him if he asks questions. We don't need him regaining any memories until the council has made a decision about what to do with him," Tsunade said in response to her Anbu's message, pulling Sasuke out of his thoughts and back to the present situation. His coal-black eyes watched as the female, who he now presumed to be the leader of these men, left the room without a word. He flinched as the two remaining guards forced him to lie back down on the mattress, grinding his teeth and lifting a frail arm to combat their movements.

"Let go! Get off of me!" he ordered, eyes widening as one of the masked men pulled out a shot. The Uchiha winced as it slammed into the crook of his arm and injected its contents into his bloodstream. Within a minute, darkness fell over him as it ate away at his vision, blurring his reality and sending into heavenly abyss.

* * *

><p>Naruto's foot tapped impatiently on the sterile floor of the hospital, piercing, blue eyes fixated on the charts posted up on the wall across from him. They held nothing of interest to the blond, but he needed something to stare at right now. Sakura sat beside him, hands folded neatly in her lap. The young kunoichi watched Naruto with patient orbs. She had returned from her studies no more than a day ago and the moment she had arrived home the blond had attacked her with news concerning their friend, Sasuke. Apparently, he was here in the hospital being treated and fixed up, though for what reason she did not know. Kakashi had stepped in before Naruto got to any specifically important things. He'd just blabbered on about how out-of-it Sasuke had acted toward him a few days ago and how he'd become sick while she was away. Nothing that really sparked any interest or concern within the youthful, pink-haired girl. Sakura took in a deep sigh before she fixated her gaze on something other than the tan boy, which happened to be the Hokage approaching them with a stern look in her face.<p>

"My Lady," she whispered respectfully, rising as the blonde stepped up to them and bowing her head momentarily. Tsunade sent her a soft glance, as if accepting her act of reverence, then returned her attention to Kakashi. The man had risen to his feet as well, though his head only dipping an inch or so in comparison to Sakura's; a nod of recognition between two old friends, one of them being in a higher position, yet still a close companion to the other. Tsunade didn't mind at all, it seemed, because she did not make a move to point out his lax behavior. She only crossed her arms and took in a very restrained breath.

"Yes, I'm guessing you're all-"

"Just tell us which room he's in and we'll talk in their, Granny," Naruto said in an ordering, but calm, voice, receiving a fiery glare from the older ninja. She kept her heated eyes on him for a moment, reprimanding him silently for such rudeness, then looked back to the boy's sensei. Kakashi's grey orbs held an apologetic gleam, which Tsunade accepted and continued what she had been saying.

"I believe you're here to learn more about the brat. We can discuss it more in my office. Too many ears here to listen," she advised. "You wouldn't mind, would you, Kakashi?" The man shrugged nonchalantly, accepting the idea without a word. The four disappeared and found themselves standing in the woman's office. Sakura, having grown used to the teleporting jutsu, only had to rub her head slightly to ward off the slight dizziness that followed the technique. Naruto, on the other hand, was not. The blond boy swayed with unsteady feet, faltering as the room spun around him at great speed. Sakura couldn't hold back the smile that pulled at her lips. She had missed Naruto, the boy who could always take her worries somewhere else while he was around. It was as if the two could not be in the same general location, one fleeing from the other if meeting face to face. She liked that about him- about Naruto.

Kakashi, after steadying his woozy student, opened his covered mouth and spoke, "So, what about Sasuke. Is he doing alright? Did the interrogation go well?" Out of the corner of his eye, Kakashi spotted Sakura's small form flinch with surprise, absorbing the information that had just reached her young ears.

"It depends on what you think 'well' means. He spilled after Ibiki wasted away at him for a day."

"That seems reasonable. What did he have to say?"

"Orochimaru." The name struck a delicate nerve in all three team member's brains, postures stiffening drastically at her words. Naruto, who had a hand on his teacher's shoulder, anchoring him to the floor as he swayed, straightened up almost instantly. An old flare returned to his cerulean orbs, which were wide with shock.

"What's that fucking bastard want," he hissed in a gruff voice, tone dripping verbal poison. Sakura, too, was thinking such questions. But the kunoichi would never let such talk pass her lips. She still had some morals to cling to, even _if_ her job was to kill.

"He told Sasuke he has plans to attack Konoha. He said that after the village is destroyed he would take Sasuke's body and complete his training himself. Apparently, Sasuke lost all the man's interest the minute he had been drug back here. That is all he knew before he passed out," the Hokage finished, chewing the inside of her cheek afterwards. She debated whether or not to tell them about the Uchiha's current condition. She trusted them, of course, but she still did not know exactly what to do herself. Explaining a situation she did not fully grasp seemed backwards.

Kakashi stood silently as his mind processed what he was hearing. So, that snake had finally lost his patience. That seemed so unlike him, though. Didn't he have enough patience to wait in silence for a proper body? Couldn't he stand a few more years of training the boy? For some reason, Kakashi took this personally. Sasuke was a fine ninja, the finest he'd seen in a while when considering his young age. Though absurd in reality, the man wanted to yell at Orochimaru; explain to him how strong his student was and how worthy his skills were. But he would never do such a thing.

"So, Sasuke has lost 'faith' in that man finally?" he asked the woman before him, who didn't respond. She only grew more still, if that was possible. Her amber eyes were sharp and calculating, an inner battle raging within the confinements of her mind.

"You could say that," she answered vaguely, making Sakura cock a thin eyebrow. It was unlike her to not be blunt with her answers. Was she hiding something? Perhaps she did not want to upset them by saying he still wanted to follow Orochimaru. Though that, too, was out of character. Her teammates seemed to be giving off the same, questioning feel, because the attractive woman shifted her weight onto her other leg uncomfortably. "We had a slight problem arise after Sasuke woke up a few hours ago. I have not spoken to anyone about it yet, and intend to keep it that way. But, since you _are_ his team, I suppose you have a right to know. You'd bug me about it until I told you, anyways," she said, eyeing Naruto pointedly. The blond nodded his head, accepting her statement almost proudly.

"What exactly do you mean?" Kakashi asked, masking his nervousness. He didn't need to worry his students any more than they probably already were.

"As you knew, Ibiki was his interrogator yesterday and this morning. I trusted that he, out of all my interrogators, could keep himself in line while beating the Uchiha to a pulp. I sadly placed my trust in the wrong man."

"That bastard hurt him, didn't he! What's wrong with you? Didn't you realize that perhaps the village isn't able to be trusted around him? Do you even _care_!" Naruto screamed out furiously, emotions boiling over as he jumped to a grotesque conclusion. He couldn't even see straight his anger was so thick. Tsunade grimaced at him, clearly pissed herself.

"Yes, Naruto, I do. I know that many forces have bent him to their will and I know his mind is not strong enough to ward off the curse mark's evil words, so I do not hold such ruthless grudges against him. He is still a child. Children are easy to mold. Sasuke simple fell into less desirable hands, which shaped him into a less desirable form," the woman explained in a strong voice, knowing Naruto probably wouldn't listen anyways though. "I would not let anyone hurt him without a damn good reason, and even then I don't desire watching him suffer. He knew no better, and I blame myself for that. I blame the world for it, too." A small time of silence engulfed the four, confusion settling into Naruto and Sakura's minds. What had she meant by that? Why did she blame herself? She wasn't active in Sasuke's life at all, it seemed.

"What did Ibiki do," the two youth's sensei said, though his voice was deep and ordering.

"He gave Sasuke a concussion, which resulted him some brain damage. It's nothing too extreme, but... he has lost some memory." Naruto's lips parted slightly at the news. Memory loss? How much did he forget? Maybe he'd forgotten all about Orochimaru. Maybe everything would go back to normal, now. Though, the blue-eyed boy knew that was a fantasy far out of reach. Such dreams were of no use to him. All they did was taunt and tease him, coaxing him forward only to jump back out of touch.

"How much has he forgotten? Is there any way to get it back?" Sakura finally spoke up, catching Tsunade's attention. The woman thought for a moment before responding.

"Almost everything. He didn't know his name, what chakra was, or me. Though he may, or may not, remember one of you. You have a strong, emotional connection with him. Perhaps that would help. Though, I'm not too sure whether we want him remembering anything," the Hokage trailed off, hearing a muffled grunt of surprise escape one Anbu by the door. He quickly composed himself and apologized before returning to his stiff position. "If Sasuke does not remember anything, then he cannot be held responsible for his actions. Granted he still could be powerful, he will need to be watched, but otherwise he is of no threat. He has no grudge against anyone right now. He's been wiped clean," she finished, then decided hiding the situation was no longer important with these three. "Care to see him yourselves?"

* * *

><p>The boy was asleep, no doubt, his head rolled to the side with his lips parted. Small sighs and evened breaths escaped him rhythmically. Naruto, of course, was the first to approach him. His black, short-sleeved shirt brushed lightly over his toned chest as he walked closer to his unconscious companion. He looked so weak right now. His face was as innocent as a child's.<p>

"You said he doesn't even know his name?"

"Well, I believe he knows it now. I called him that and he seemed to make the connection." Naruto nodded in response to the woman's answer, signaling he had heard without taking his eyes off the sleeping ninja before him. He raised a gentle hand and reached out toward the Uchiha, stopping and retreating it back to his side as Sasuke moaned and stirred. The Anbu by the door held up a hand sign, the blond noticed, and he guessed they were pulling the boy out of his drug-induced sleep using their chakra. Though he'd never heard of such a thing being used, he knew it was possible to do. Naruto returned his focus onto his waking friend, who's eyes were beginning to open.

The Uchiha was silent at first. His ebony orbs roamed over his surroundings tiredly, noticeable confusion swirling in them. Naruto gave a small smile, remembering that Sasuke would have most likely forgotten him. This was his chance to make a good impression on the stoic boy. Sasuke didn't seem to notice him much at first, but soon let his gaze rest on him once he had finished realizing where he was.

"What... are you smiling about?" he grunted, lips pulling into a thin, unamused grimace. Naruto's smile fell immediately. Sakura approached without a second thought, placing a soothing hand on her blond-haired teammate's shoulder.

"It's still Sasuke, Naruto. We have to remember that. His personality shouldn't have changed too much," she said in a gentle voice, knowing the boy would not be pleased with that information.

Sasuke flinched at the girl's words, letting the other person's name echo in his mind. _Naruto?_, he thought to himself. Where had he heard that name before? He knew for a fact that this boy must be a friend of his, or a relative? Perhaps a brother. For some reason he felt a bond between them, and that knowledge soothed his worried mind slightly.

"Naruto," he murmured, accidentally saying it aloud instead of inside his head. A small hint of embarrassment filled his chest as he realized his mistake, though he masked it easily with indifference. The blue-eyed boy sent him a pleased look, grin returning at full force. The pink-haired female next to him- Naruto- also smiled a bit, though hers faded quickly. It seemed she was having an inner conflict, her emerald eyes turning to look at that woman behind her. The one from before. The blond with the odd power to calm and overpower his muscles. She had the same look on her face, forehead creased with important thought. Sasuke sneered at her with spiteful orbs.

"What is it _you_ want now? Who the hell are they?" Sasuke snarled and pushed himself up, pointing toward Naruto afterwards. "And him- Naruto...," the Uchiha trailed off. Tsunade face grew more stern, glaring at the pale child in annoyance.

"I told you not to move, brat. And what about Naruto?" she grumbled and approached said boy, eyes still focused on Sasuke. Naruto gave her an eager look, then, once again, looked back at his hurt companion. Sasuke snorted at their stares.

"Why should I answer your questions when you refuse to answer mine. Why the fuck am I in here? Why can't I remember anything? And that guy," he turned his gaze to Naruto for the hundredth time, "he sounds familiar- his name. I know it."

Kakashi, who had been standing at the back for quite some time now, decided to step into this conversation. It seemed to be getting rife with emotion and he did not want Naruto or Sakura to say anything that would screw up Tsunade's plan. Though he worried he might actually do that himself if he was not careful.

"Sasuke, everything will be cleared up soon. Just calm down," he explained with a hidden smile, visible eye curving in response to his facial expression. His student sent him a glare, though it dissolved as he let his gaze roam over the man. He, too, looked familiar.

"What's your name. Who are you," he ordered, though Tsunade shoved him back onto the bed before either Kakashi or Sasuke could speak again.

"Rest, Sasuke," she growled and pressed her palm onto the Uchiha's forehead, shooting chakra into him and sending the boy back into darkness. Naruto's lips turned thin as he realized what the woman had done. Sakura, too, seemed displeased with the action.

"We can't just keep him like this: confused and angry. What are we going to do?" she whispered to her Hokage, who sighed and rubbed her temples calmingly. She was so stressed right now and anger was still coursing through her, directed all at Ibiki. That man would get an earful when she got her hands on him...

"Hey, Granny? You heard us," Naruto's voice cut in, dragging the amber-eyed woman out of her mind and back to the present situation, "right? What are you going to do with him? You can't just leave him in the dark forever."

"I know that, _Naruto_," the female hissed through her pink, moist lips. The young ninja didn't even flinch at her harsh reaction. He just continued with his cold staring. "I must speak with the council before I make any decisions..." Kakashi stepped out of the way of the lady, allowing her to leave the room hurriedly. He looked down at his two, worried students, deciding to leave them be with their thoughts for the time being. Though Sakura did not seem to be feeling well and he watched her go in silence, leaving her team behind.

* * *

><p>"The boy's dangerous, with or without his memories," Jiraiya exclaimed, giving off an air of wisdom. His untamable, white hair flowed down his back as a gentle breeze hit Tsunade and himself. The woman beside him seemed to be thinking, as she did not respond to him until a minute or two later.<p>

"You didn't see him, Jiraiya. He... He's so vulnerable right now. I don't think he even knows he's a ninja," she whispered her reply, looking down as she messed idly with her nails. Her friend gave a low sigh, relaxing against the back of the bench they sat on.

"Would you say the same thing if it were Orochimaru instead of Sasuke?"

That got him a sharp glare.

"I wish you could see that boy for who he is; not for who he reminds you of so much, Jiraiya."

"That _boy_ has the heart of a murderer. Mess with him enough and he'll, no doubt, become the spitting image of that snake. I wish _you_ could see that boy for who he _really_ is," the man responded informatively, crossing his arms and looking at the blonde. He waited for her response, preparing what to say if she argued further. But she did not. The Hokage sat in silent contemplation over what her old teammate had said.

_Maybe he's right_, she thought. _Maybe he shouldn't be given mercy..._

* * *

><p><strong>Haha, the second I finished this chapter my brother tackled me off my bouncy ball. Like, literally I was typing the last HTML code and he just came out of nowhere and crushed me against the couch. Lawl. Pain...<strong>

**Yes, Sasuke still has is sas-hole (sassy mouth that sounds like ass hole LOL I'm clever bitch) personality. I couldn't help myself. He's just TOO cute that way.~**

**REVIEW, you little dumplings!~**

_Nat_


	18. Chapter 18

****Heeeeey girlfrieeeeeends~****

**We gun get this started in hur.**

**Ya' pickin' up what I'm puttin' down? Ya' feels me?**

**Good. ^.^**

**I don't own Naruto, because I'd totally screw the plot up.**

* * *

><p>Sasuke shot up with a fear-laced cry, sweat pouring down his toned body. That dream—whatever it could be called—was horrifying. It shook him to his very core and he had to force his sweaty hands to unclench from around his damp bed-sheets. Who had that been? Why had he killed all those people? Was it himself committing whatever crime he'd done to get thrown in this pit?<p>

_Those. . . eyes_, he thought dreadfully, seeing the image burst into the forefront of his brain and explode before his ebony orbs. The Uchiha immediately dropped his head into his hands, a sudden wave of sorrow flooding his already quaking form. Tears unleashed themselves like a torrential downpour as ragged sobs tore free from his busted lips. He didn't know if he was crying due to his previous dream or the immense pain his body was currently in. The last time he had awakened he'd felt fine. His injuries and limbs, though all a gruesome sight, seemed perfectly healthy. Now the pulsing shockwaves were back with a vengeance. Whatever it was that had brought tears upon him, he despised it deeply. He hated this helpless feeling that accompanied such an emotion as crying—balling, in his case. Sasuke jumped as a hand fell onto his shoulder, making him jerk away desperately and unwillingly press himself against the cold wall.

"Leave me be!" he shouted out in a cracked voice that sounded more like a frightened child's. Yet another thing to make his ears and cheeks heat up in embarrassment.

"Uchiha. . . Calm down," a feminine voice told him and he identified it quickly. The leader. The blonde with the spiteful, golden eyes. Sasuke dropped his hands away from his moist face, keeping it bowed forward so that his bangs shielded him from the other's gaze. "Just calm down," the woman repeated and once again the child felt her hand on his back, massaging small circles into it and bewildering Sasuke's already foggy mind. What was she _doing_? Wasn't this the woman that had thrown him down here without a single benevolent word; the woman that had ordered her men to hold him down while she examined his eyes and body? Certainly not, unless something had happened that called for a sudden mood-swing. After a few moments of collecting himself and drying his tears as subtly as possible, the black-haired rogue lifted his head up to send the blonde a silent stare. He needn't say anything for her to understand his question. But she just took a deep breath through her nose and looked harder into his eyes instead of answering him. Of course she wouldn't answer him; she never did, it seemed. . .

"You should rest more. Your body is still recovering."

"From what, or is that a secret, too?" Sasuke replied curtly, sending a glare her way. He would not act as her other workers had. He was no _dog_. The blonde seemed to find his attitude annoying, as she narrow her golden eyes and glared heatedly at the boy.

"Watch it, Uchiha. You're still a rogue—" Tsunade halted herself, chewing on her tongue as punishment for letting her words slip. Sasuke blinked curiously at her words, tears halting as his mood changed to interest. So he was a rogue. But of what? What had he betrayed? This woman, most likely, he thought bitterly. The sudden realization that he was scum wasn't a pleasant one.

"So that's why," he muttered quietly as he wiped more tears from his flushed cheeks. Tsunade cursed and stood up straight, crossing her arms as the door behind was opened. The girl was back; the one with the pink hair and green eyes that seemed to stir something within his being. Though he could not figure out what it was. The young girl walked toward his bed and he watched her pointedly, analyzing every move her body made. Who was this girl and why did she make him feel. . . _exasperated_? The Uchiha's thoughts were interrupted when she spoke.

"It doesn't seem to me that your mistake did anything bad. He still doesn't remember me, my Lady," the kunoichi whispered in a hushed voice to Tsunade, who said nothing in return. She only nodded her head once to show she had heard. Sasuke's stare melted into an annoyed gaze, realizing he was, once again, being ignored. "The way Naruto effects him makes me nervous," Sakura continued. "I don't know if it's a good idea to let them see each other much, for now. Do you agree, lady Hokage?"

"Somewhat," the blonde answered, seeming to be in a state of limbo. The thought of forcing Sasuke away from Naruto was not appealing to her and she knew the boy well enough to say the same for him. Sasuke's condition obviously worried the blue-eyed child and he would, like any other friend, certainly wish to see him while the brat recovered. Tsunade also wondered if Naruto was slightly enjoying remaking his and Sasuke's relationship. Sakura sighed lightly through her nose as she looked Sasuke over. The rogue was still shaking a bit from whatever dream that had haunted his sleep, which made the kunoichi curious. Though she would never ask such a thing. Sasuke probably didn't even know why it was a nightmare. The boy still had his emotional baggage, he just didn't know why, and would certainly still have nightmares involving Orochimaru and Itachi. She wondered what it would be like to cry over something you didn't even understand. Probably bewildering.

"Ngh—" Sasuke grunted painfully as his side pulsed, pale, trembling hands grasping the site instantly. Tsunade was near him once again, along with Sakura.

"What? Sasuke, what hurts?" the golden-eyed woman asked gently, but strongly. The shivering boy growled and sent her an aggravated glare.

"Why would. . . . you even care? Just leave," he choked out between some more whimpers, eyes screwing shut as the pain in his side grew worse. Sakura watched him silently, worry evident in her eyes though.

"Just tell me what hurts so I can heal it, brat," Tsunade snarled and roughly lifted the boy's white shirt, revealing a series of painful-looking contusions. Sasuke whimpered a flushed a deep pink, arms raising to cover himself. The pink-haired kunoichi cocked an eyebrow at this. She'd never imagined Sasuke to be the bashful type. Of course this wasn't exactly Sasuke. The Uchiha's gasp broke her train of thought and she returned to watching the scene unfold before her. Sasuke was wincing and grinding his teeth in obvious pain, sweat dripping down his face as the older blonde poked and prodded his ribs. His side was black, red, and horribly swollen. Definitely a cracked rib or two. How had Sasuke not acted hurt before? His adrenaline probably would have been pumping through his body wildly, but that would have only dulled the pain for a certain amount of time.

"Ahh! Stop! I'm fine! Stop!" her teammate's voice sliced through the cold air, his scream making Sakura's ears ring.

"Obviously you're not," Tsunade grumbled, trying to keep the squirming and squealing child still. "Lower your voice, Uchiha! It isn't that bad." Sasuke bit his bottom lip and glared daggers at the woman, humiliated on the inside for showing his weakness. Though he had no idea. How could you not scream under such intense pain. The rogue squeezed his eyes shut as another throb erupted from his ribcage and he let out a breathless squeak. It hurt so much; he couldn't hold it back.

"My Lady, broken ribs are known to be excruciating. At least give him credit for not balling his eyes out," Sakura cut in, heart yearning to help ease her friend's torment. She herself had never had cracked ribs, but some of her patients had before, and they'd screeched horribly. The Uchiha child sighed with relief as a calm pressure hit his injured side, melding his bone back together and making the pain slowly ebb away. Sasuke let his dark eyes roll to land on Sakura, who smiled sheepishly at him. The Uchiha stared in quiet contemplation, face neither showing distaste or gratification toward the grin; he just radiated bewilderment. The green-eyed girl dropped her smile slowly, remembering he didn't know her anymore.

"You should feel better in a while, Sasuke. The pain should die down in a few days—_id_ you stay in bed and rest."

"Can you tell me why I'm hurt so bad?" the confused rogue asked, jumping as the blonde woman began wrapping bandages around his chest and stomach. "What's that foe? I'm not bleeding, am I?"

"It'll keep the bone from moving around when you walk and lie down," the Hokage replied, standing back up as she finished securing the boy's bandages. Sasuke watched the two females with his striking, ebony orbs, switching his gaze from one to the other as if he wasn't sure which one he should watch. Sakura sighed a bit and turned toward the door. "You're leaving, Sakura?" The kunoichi nodded in response to her Hokage's question.

"May I speak to you in the hall, Hokage-sama?" the girl asked after the Anbu opened the door for her, turning and glancing over the elder female. Tsunade followed her out and crosses her arms.

"What is it, Sakura? You seem beside yourself."

"What are you. . . Is Sasuke going to be alright? Have you spoken to the council yet?" the pink-haired girl pleaded, hands clasped together in front of her chest. The sannin before her cocked am elegant eyebrow before pursing her pink lips and lowering her amber orbs to the floor.

"They want to see him; to comfort his condition as truth, and not a well-performed act. I will do all I can to keep him safe, as well as my village," the woman replied in a serious tone, and Sakura winced at her words.

"He can't hurt the village if he doesn't have or know about his chakra! The village will be safe, I promise! Please, Hokage-sama," the youth let her head bow forward a bit, tears welling up in her eyes, "don't kill him. . ." The blonde watched her student with shocked eyes. She knew the genin had a crush for the Uchiha, but never would she have guessed it to be so strong. Of course, seeing him so innocent and still hurt for his mistakes probably took a toll on her young heart. The Hokage took a deep breath and exhaled through her nose, placing a hand on Sakura's back and rubbing it soothingly.

"I know, Sakura, I know. The fact that Orochimaru may be hunting him down is the main issue. Sasuke is drawing that snake here, and we've seen what he can do when he wants something." Sakura gulped as she remembered the attack on the village during the chunin exams. Maybe keeping Sasuke wasn't such a harmless idea after all. "I don't want to see him hurt, either. I'll do my best to keep him safe. I promise," the woman finished with a small smile. Sakura wiped her cheeks and grinned back thankfully, bowing afterwards.

"Thank you, my Lady," she whispered respectively and made her way out of the building. Tsunade watched her go, lips pulling into a thin, dreary scowl. What was she to do? Both Sakura and Jiraiya made good points—even if she had agreed with her student due only to her immense pity—and the conflicting thoughts raged in her mind. She looked at the Uchiha's room's door and narrowed her eyes. Perhaps the council would shed more light on what decision she should make.

* * *

><p>Sasuke lolled his head to the side as his door opened once again, eyes drooped with drowsiness. A small group of people made their ways toward him, making the Uchiha glare in confusion.<p>

"What is it now? Are these more of your pawns?" he snarled at Tsunade, who remained silent. Sasuke snorted and let his gaze fall on the elderly man beside the blonde. His glasses reflected the dim light in the room slightly as he allowed himself to look the boy over.

"He seems to not be hurt too badly. It looks like Ibiki did a wonderful job," the man spoke up after a moment of observation. The woman by his side nodded in agreement. "Uchiha, answer me this: Why did you go to Orochimaru?" Sasuke stared at the man with spiteful eyes, lips pulled into a thin line.

"Who the fuck is that? Who are you? What do you want?" the child snarled, taking a breath to say more but whimpering as his ribs ached tenderly. The black-haired genin fell back onto his hard bed, eyes tightly shut. Tsunade sighed and crossed her arms.

"He doesn't remember anything. The brat is—"

"Tsunade," the elderly woman cut in, her tone set in a patronizing voice, "you cannot know for sure if he isn't faking. We must test this; make sure he is telling us the truth. You know how tricky Uchihas can be," she finished, making Sasuke crack one eye open and glare at her in confusion.

"A genjutsu of his past; show him his clan's demise and gauge his reaction," the man ordered, earning him a look of shock from Tsunade.

"That is torture. I will not allow such treatment—"

"Then how do you propose we do this, Hokage-sama?" The blonde glanced down at Sasuke's trembling form. Nothing else came to mind. But she couldn't bring herself to submit Sasuke to such torment. Of course, he wouldn't be too upset. He wouldn't remember anything, anyways.

"Fine," she growled and walked toward the door. "Tell me when you've finished with him."

"Wait! W-what are you going to do?" Sasuke whimpered and watched the man beside his bed with wide, frightened eyes. The child pressed his shoulder against the wall, wishing he could melt into the cold stone, but knowing he couldn't; could not escape whatever hell these people wanted to put him through. What had they said? Show him his clan's demise? What clan? He was part of a clan? "What do you mean—"

"Hush, Uchiha Sasuke," the grey-haired female snapped and made a hand-sign. The raven cocked an eyebrow. What in the world were they doing; standing there with their fingers intertwined in odd ways? It didn't make much sense, but he couldn't focus much anyways. The room spun slowly as everything grew dim. The genin groaned and squeezed his eyes shut tight, raising hands gingerly to grip his hair. The boy waited till the throbbing in his head dulled, opening his eyes and gasping out in utter shock. No longer was he in the dreary, dark room. Instead, he stood in the center of a road, the sky eerily still. Sasuke looked about himself in wonder. What sort of trick was this? Was he dreaming? It looked like the place in his nightmare, and a small shutter ran up his skin at the realization. The child took a step forward, freezing as the road spontaneously changed. His feet were now settled in something warm and sticky. A small, ragged whimper slipped past the genin's lips. This was just like his nightmare! He was having another one! Sasuke tried remembering what else had happened, keeping his eyes closed as he did so.

_Bodies. . . and that man with the red eyes_, he reminded himself. Now he _really_ didn't want to open his eyes. So he didn't. The child crouched and covered his eyes. If he didn't look, he wouldn't have to see the horror.

"Sasuke," a voice rang out before him, making him look up with surprise. A man stood before him, black hair pulled back in a loose pony-tail. The rogue let out a shaky breath and got up, stepping closer to the other.

"Who—. . . Do you know who did this?" he whimpered out, eyes flickering between the man and the bodies. He shivered as the stench began to reach his nose. Nausea hit him and the Uchiha bent over, gagging up spit since his stomach was, apparently, empty. The headache once again came back to life and pounded his inner skull. Sasuke coughed and cracked his eyes open, once again finding himself in his old room; his prison.

"What? . . . How—" the boy couldn't finish, his voice giving out as he trembled violently. The elders stood before him in silence. The man who wore glasses snorted in a disgruntled way, mocked soon by the woman beside him. They both looked displeased somewhat.

"Do you think he's acting?"

"I am not sure. He may be; he may not be," the woman replied. Sasuke panted and let his head fall back into his pillow, feeling just how sweaty he had become. He'd had another nightmare, it seemed. The raven blushed a tad as he realized these two had watched him during his fitfull sleep, a bit ashamed to be so defenseless. Though what could he do even if he wasn't chained? He couldn't fight; the boy would be beaten into a pulp. "Uchiha." The rogue looked toward the female as she called his name. "You remember Itachi, don't you? The man who betrayed you; tricked you and brought you down to nothing but this pathetic state of weakness?"

Sasuke simply looked back at the ceiling, not knowing exactly what the elder was talking about. But he felt embarrassed that even she could see how powerless he was. But, who was this Itachi? Betrayed him? He didn't remember anything like that. Then again, he didn't remember anything at all.

"Who's that? What did he do to me?" the rogue asked the surrounding people, ebony eyes passing over each one of them. The female sighed and scratched her head in thought.

"Perhaps he isn't lying. Otherwise he would be screaming at the top of his lungs, wouldn't he? Kakashi said he was hypersensitive to those memories—"

"Hypersensitive to what? Tell me what's going on!" A slap was his reward for such a question. The boy felt his cheeks heat up in humiliation.

"Well, for now, he is officially. . . innocent. Drop all the charges against him," the man said and ignored Sasuke's order. The door to the room opened once again and the blonde approached the three.

"Now that all of that is settled, what do we do with him? He said Orochimaru was—" Tsunade's voice was cut off as the three ninja left, shutting the Uchiha inside his cell and ignoring his screams of protest.

Tsunade sighed as the child's yelling grew fainter the higher they climbed the stairs, brushing her fingers through one pigtail.

"So you believe Orochimaru will destroy the village if he attacks is yet again?" the Hokage muttered, chewing the inside of her cheek in anxiety. She knew where her council was heading with this and she did not like it one bit.

"Yes. But there is a way to keep that from happening. Offer the boy to him. Once he is gone the village with be safe again. Sasuke—if he is telling the truth—will have forgotten his training and not be fit for a body transfer."

"You talk like he'd be no loss at all. Sasuke is a fabulous ninja. Not to mention he's the last strand of hope we have for rebuilding his clan," Tsunade argued, having dealt with this situation before. Her council still had much hatred for the Uchiha; since Sasuke was now the only one left, he took the full brunt of their distaste. But he was no tool. Yes, reviving the Uchiha would be good and bring more ninja into the village. But if Sasuke hadn't particularly wanted that, she wouldn't have _forced_ it. He wasn't an object to be used and thrown away.

"Too bad he lost his memories. Not so fabulous anymore, is he? He's worthless to us, other than his bloodline. But, my Lady, think of how many lives your risking to save this one; a traitorous murderer who attempted to destroy you and Konoha."

The amber-eyed woman pursed her lips, stopping in her tracks as the older female finished what she was saying. Even if it killed her and every fiber in her body wanted to deny it, she was right. Sasuke wasn't a ninja anymore. He wasn't a source of information, either. All he had left was his bloodline, which she refused to exploit and use. Goodness, her council spoke as if he was simply a dog to breed for profits. Though, in reality, his purpose was growing small. Really that _was_ all he was good for now; without his precious memories. But even with that, giving him over to her old teammate seemed heartless. Who knew what that snake would do to Sasuke now? Obviously he'd been furious with him for leaving—that much was obvious by the extent of his injuries—but would he be even angrier if he discovered his amnesia? Wouldn't that make themselves traitors for abandoning him in this defenseless state?

And she couldn't forget about the Uchiha's elder brother. He'd certainly make an appearance if word of mouth reached his ears. Her council had informed her after they'd brought Sasuke back of the oldest Uchiha's doings, and she'd be shocked for days. Itachi wouldn't allow them to give his brother to Orochimaru.

"Tsunade-sama, is something the matter?" Koharu asked, hands fining each other through her thick sleeves. Homura nodded, silently asking the same. The blonde looked at the two, eyes filled with a troubled glint.

"I don't know," she replied after a long pause. Really, what would she decide to do with the boy? It was either save the village from possible destruction, or save a now-innocent life.

* * *

><p>Kakashi sighed and set down his chopsticks, looking at his two, quiet, somber students.<p>

"Come on, guys," he encouraged, a forced smile spreading under his mask, "Sasuke will be fine. We're—"

"Stop that. . . . Please," Naruto murmured, blue eyes focused on his half-empty bowl of ramen. Sakura was silent, but her eyes gleamed with agreement. The older man cast his eyes back down, feeling bad for hurting them further. He wasn't an expert comforter; no one had comforted him and he wasn't particularly _warm and fuzzy_. Saying honeyed-words was all he knew, and he rained his lies down on his two student's relentlessly. "We aren't kids anymore, Sensei. You can tell us the truth," his blond student spoke up again, this time lifting his gaze to Kakashi's face.

"Of course. I understand," he replied in a smooth voice, though his heart shivered with shame. To be called out for his faults by his own students was quite humiliating. Being called out at all was bad enough. The grey-haired man met Naruto's gaze with a facade of confidence and said, "The council—they are not in Sasuke's favor. They will most likely advise Tsunade to do something that benefits the village over Sasuke, which will—most likely—connect to them gaining more power over the village's choices. Tsunade will no doubt ask for their aid. But I don't think she is as withered as they are; she has hope for Sasuke. Perhaps her's is not as strong as our's, but it's still there. If the council offers something incredibly wayward, she'll hopefully rebuke it. Though, if they make a good argument, Tsunade may fall under the impression that Sasuke is—even being unaware of his wrongdoings—still a threat and a rogue-ninja. I can only hope she makes the right choice," the jounin finished thoughtfully, not holding back any information he contained. Sakura nodded her head in acknowledgment, though the blue-eyed blond beside her sat in somber contemplation. Kakashi did not press for his reply and began eating away at his meal once more. The air had grown rife with anxious sighs and the silence unnerved him. The last thing he wanted to do was cause more stress. But for what reason, he did not know. Silence had never bothered him before, so why did it now? Perhaps because of the topic. Such a serious, nail-biting situation they were all in, and he was even more upset that his cherished student, Sasuke, was not with them.

_Choosing favorites isn't a smart idea_, he scolded himself, chewing on a hot carrot-slice in thought after popping it into his mouth swift enough for no one to see. He grinned a bit as he remembered the days when the rest of his team had desperately tried to see the lower half of his face. Days when worry was a far off date that could be considered another time. A sigh escaped him as the memories faded away, replaced with reality. Sasuke's future was in the palm of Tsunade's hand, and he didn't stand a chance against fate. He was a convicted murderer who had taken numerous, innocent lives. Sakura hadn't spoken since their meeting with Sasuke after his memory loss, and he knew something was eating away at her. Naruto had stopped eating almost, but he'd gotten a tad happier after getting to talk with his teammate after so long. He himself had vivid nightmares half of the times he'd tried sleeping.

A mess; they were one, big mess.

"I'm going to head home. Thank you for the meal, Kakashi-sensei," Sakura murmured and offered her teacher a sheepish smile before sliding from her chair and gliding toward the door. The two boys watched her leave, both knowing it would be best to let her be.

Sakura pushed the door of the restaurant open, taking in a deep breath as the fresh air assaulted her senses. Oh, how she just wanted to melt into the dirt road below her feet. She hated herself; despised herself for being so selfish. The pink-haired girl sighed shakily as she tried concealing her tears. She couldn't help herself anymore; the kunoichi couldn't run from her emotions any longer.

_He didn't remember me. . . But he remembered Naruto? Why? I thought. . . I thought we were closer_, the genin thought, hurrying up to make it home before the tears slipped out. Yes, she acknowledged that Sasuke's and Naruto's relationship was much, _much_ stronger than the one she shared with him. But even knowing that didn't ease her troubled mind. It hurt; it simply hurt. Sakura jerked her front door open and slammed it behind her, running up the stairs to her room as her control finally broke.

* * *

><p><strong>Yay! New chapter! *dances* Heh, hoped you liked it. Yea, Sakura's over-emotional. You know what? I'm being as realistic with her as I can. Goodness knows I'm an emotional train wreck over anything and everything. I could see how that could hurt her feelings. . . It'd hurt mine. . .<strong>

_**Okay! I will be gone for the next TWO WEEKS! No updates till then! I'm so sorry! I'm going to Italy, then going to Colorado for Spring break. Yea. . . busy. I'll miss all of you so much! D: Please be patient with me!**_

**Reviews are the only reason I update fast. Lol, pressures on you now, SUCKERS. :)**

_Nat_


	19. Chapter 19

****Haha, took long enough for an update . . . Sorry everyone!****

**So yea, here ya' go!**

**I don't own Naruto, because if I did the entire plot would be for shits and giggles.**

* * *

><p>Tsunade stood before her prisoner's door, red, glossy thumb-nail shoved between her teeth as it was chewed on subconsciously. Whatever would she do with him, the Uchiha boy. Handing him to Orochimaru was like sending him to death, and keeping him here was like sending the village to their death. The decision, to most others, seemed obvious. Sasuke was not worth more than the village. He was one soul among thousands; one very twisted, confused, and vengeful soul. And yet, she couldn't bring herself to betray his safety. The rogue was still a child, no matter what her council labelled him as. He was still growing, still learning, and still—though she had trouble wrapping her mind around it—defenseless against outside influence. Sasuke was still being molded by the people around him, and since losing his memory that fact had tripled in severity. Without knowing himself, it was up to other's word for him to figure out who he was and what he did. She had already let slip his being a rogue.<p>

A heavy sigh escaped Tsunade and she reached out to grab hold of the cold doorknob, turning it and stepping inside the young Uchiha's room. The child was sitting on his bed, as usual, his dim eyes staring up at the ceiling in deep concentration. The blonde watched him for a while, not wanting to keep this waiting, but also not wanting to interrupt this silence. Though she did not have to. Sasuke did for her.

"Back to confuse me more?" he mumbled in a scratchy voice, head lolling to the side as he rested his gaze on his visitor. The Hokage simply continued to look at the Uchiha with hard, firm eyes. Sasuke seemed to shrivel under the chilling scrutiny, rising up off his bed and pressing his shoulder agains the wall with a small groan. His ribs were still aching slightly. Tsunade walked over, her lips drawing down into a concerned grimace. Sasuke didn't enjoy the feeling she was giving off and narrowed his onyx orbs. "What is it? Did you bring that boy with you? Did you bring Naruto?"

"The council and I have decided to send you somewhere else for the time being."

"What? Why? Where am I going?" the Uchiha stuttered out, taken by surprise at her information. The blonde woman seemed to become disheartened at his question, hand coming up to brush some bangs out of her eyes. Some men appeared in the doorway, faces hidden by those awful, animal masks and Sasuke swallowed thickly as anxiety settled in the pit of his stomach. He scooted around uncomfortably on his hard mattress.

"That's not important. For now, you will be under the watch of this man—Jiraiya. You will not leave his side for _anything_. You will do everything he tells you to do when he says it and if I hear you haven't, you'll find yourself sitting in this room chained up. Got it?" Sasuke blinked silently, confusion sweeping over him. Jiraiya? Who was that? The boy's gaze roamed the guards at the door, wondering if, perhaps, one of them was said man. Though they parted after a moment and a new face walked in. The Uchiha had to keep himself from staring at the man's hair, which hung wildly down his back, almost touching the floor with its white tips.

"I don't understand why I have to take him. Can't Kakashi? He knows the brat better."

"You know damn well why. I don't need you're bellyaching right now, so take him before I finally ban those disgusting books of your's from my village," Tsunade snapped in a low voice and Sasuke watched Jiraiya approach him with a glare. Whatever kind of threat that had been, it certainly had gotten to message sent. Sasuke snarled as the white-haired adult snatched up his arm in a vice-like grip, yanking him from his seat on the bed and forcing the bottoms of his feet to meet the cold, stone floor. A shiver ran up his spine at the temperature change. But before he had time to snap a complaint, the room spun sickeningly and his head grew light. The world around him seemed to churn at a astounding speed, then settle itself down the very next moment. The boy wobbled on his unsteady legs as he tried to regain his balance. If not for the man's hold on his thin limb, he'd have fallen already. Though, that grip vanished and he felt his legs give out and allow his body to crumple to the floor, which was much softer than he remembered. Carpet, perhaps. But his cell hadn't had carpet before. And his cell hadn't been this bright, nor this warm. Where had Jiraiya taken him in such a short time? Was this the place that blonde woman had spoken of? Questions cluttered his judgment, but before he could voice them the child fell unconscious.

* * *

><p>"How long is he going to be staying with me . . ."<p>

"As long as it takes for Orochimaru to come looking for his prize," the blonde woman replied, long nails tapping against the wooden tabletop loudly. Her old friend let out a heavy sigh, black eyes downcast and locked on his feet. Sasuke lie in the bed nearby, still unconscious from the transportation jutsu. The two, older ninja let their gazes fall on him. "He must have been taken by surprise from your jutsu. I would have given anything to see that know-it-all brat pass out from such a simple technique," Tsunade grumbled and the man sitting beside her let out a dry laugh. It wasn't humorous, but he seemed to find something about her snarky remark appealing. Though, the amber-eyed Hokage remembered, the man did despise this boy fervently. He'd give even more to see the boy completely cast out of the village. His wish would be granted soon enough.

"What if Orochimaru decides to attack the village even after we offer Sasuke to him? What would we do then?"

"We'd fight. What else would you do when you're being threatened?" Jiraiya nodded in response, leaning back in his chair as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Why did you ever allow him back in the village . . . He deserved to die a traitor's death. A hanging would have suited him nicely," the white-haired ninja pried, turning his ebony eyes onto the Hokage, who began to radiate killing intent. Beautiful, amber-colored orbs locked him in a fiery glare as she cocked her head toward him. The man simply stared in response, not effected by her rage.

"He is a child, Jiraiya. He doesn't know any better. The kid is just doing what he thinks is best. It's partially my fault he's like this . . " the blonde explained, glare falling into a saddened gaze. She returned to watching the sleeping boy, who rolled onto his side slowly. The woman sighed heavily. Her old teammate looked her over questionably. What in the world was she talking about? Her fault? It didn't make any sense.

"Tsunade, you can't seriously be blaming yourself for this—"

"And why shouldn't I? It was up to the village to raise him after his clan's demise, but no one cared enough to lend a hand. The council told me why it happened, why the massacre occurred, and how we were supposed to go about raising him ourselves. It was up to us to help him not do exactly what he did," the woman snapped in response, trailing off sadly toward the end. She was not in the mood to ramble on about this, though it did feel good to let some steam off. Jiraiya didn't quite understand all of what his old friend was saying, but he did pick up the main point. It made sense that the village had been given the job of raising Sasuke. He was still a child, at the time. But why they hadn't bothered with that perplexed him. The Third never seemed so heartless. In fact, when he had been alive, he appeared to adore children. Why hadn't he done the same to Sasuke? Why had he left him to fend for himself at such a young age? The author turned his attention away from his blonde companion and back to the unconscious child on his bed. He narrowed his black eyes bitterly.

"I see," he responded simply, standing up after a minute or two of silence passed between them. "Perhaps you should start heading off. He'll be waking up soon," he murmured quietly. "And before you go, what am I supposed to say when he—"

"You don't say anything. We can't have him remembering anything now that the decision has been made. Anyways, why would you talk to him?" the Hokage replied curtly before vanishing. Jiraiya opened his mouth to complain, but stopped as he saw Sasuke rise in the corner of his vision. The Uchiha rubbed his stomach, then turned and began looking the white-haired man up and down.

"What . . . What happened!" he ordered. The elder male sighed. This was going to be worse than he had thought.

* * *

><p>Tsunade leaned against the cold railing in front of her, looking over the forest outlining her village's high walls. The night had brought clouds and a cold wind with its coming, and her blonde locks tossed in the breeze freely. At the moment, the Hokage did not care to fix them. She was more focussed on the presence beside her, one that sent mental alarms off in her mind.<p>

"I knew you'd show yourself," the woman muttered curtly. The man beside her did not respond. Tsunade turned her gaze onto him, amber-orbs meeting shining red ones. "I ask you to turn those off while we speak."

"Have I heard correctly?" the man started, eyes fading slowly to their normal ebony shade. "Is it true you are planning on offering Sasuke Uchiha to Orochimaru?" Tsunade licked her lips anxiously, chewing on them a bit before letting them go. She couldn't show how nervous she was around the other. That'd only invite more intimidation on his part.

"What you've heard is true. Orochimaru has threatened my village for many years now. Sasuke has recently lost his memories—"

"_What_?"

"—so he is of no use to us now. He can no longer be a ninja of Konoha, unless we want to spend perhaps years retraining him. And who knows when that snake will attack us again. Your younger brother explained to us that he is planning to strike soon," Tsunade finished, feeling the man's chakra flare dangerously. She was thankful his eyes hadn't activated again.

"What do you mean he's lost his memories? What happened. What did you do to him," Itachi ordered in an even tone. His body was stiff, as if he were ready to spring forward in a moments notice. The blonde beside him had to wait a minute or two before licking her lips in preparation to speak, though the young man cut her off before she could do so. "I thought we had an agreement."

"It was not me that caused Sasuke's memory loss. An interrogator got a little rough with him. I don't see how this is a bad thing for you, Itachi." The Uchiha merely looked toward the forest after her comment, navy, long-sleeved shirt sliding over his taut muscles as he gripped the cold rail near his stomach. So many questions—along with flaming rage—bubbled in the pit of his stomach. He'd heard rumors of his sibling being rescued, but the man hadn't given them much thought. It had not been the first time he'd heard a lie similar to that. Though it hadn't been a lie; Sasuke _had_ been rescued, he _had_ made it home, and now he would be tossed right back to the dogs without a second thought.

"Orochimaru will have no use for him. He'll either kill him or take his body right then and there."

"I'm fully aware of that." Itachi gripped the bar tighter, knuckles turning white as the blood was cut-off. How dare she do this to his brother—after everything he had done. Tsunade gazed over the obviously furious rogue, sighing lightly and finally fixing her unruly bangs. "You know, I didn't want to do this to him. The council, my village—I had to do it to keep all of them safe. They rely on me to do so."

"Your allies should be willing to protect you if he attacked Konoha. You don't have to surrender so easily. And who says he will stop his plans just because you give him what he wants?" Another sigh—this time heavy—escaped the Hokage, who turned her back to the forest and leaned against the railing. The Akatsuki beside her did not move an inch, head down and shoulders hunched.

"It's not my decision to make."

"You're the Hokage. That's exactly what you're supposed to do; make decisions," the Akatsuki hissed venomously. Tsunade stood silently for a while, stomach churning with regret. She hadn't wanted to condemn Sasuke. She hadn't wanted to give him to Orochimaru. But she had to, her council had informed her repeatedly. Though what could they do if the boy was . . . taken? If someone—perhaps an older relative—happened to take him before the attack? The blonde chewed on her bottom lip in thought. Orochimaru would still attack though, and they'd have nothing to offer him in return for his mercy. Either decision had a negative outcome. Perhaps the Raikage or the Kazekage would come to her aid? She mulled over this for a moment, then turned her head toward Itachi with serious eyes.

"What if you took him?" Her comment got her a silent stare from the man. "What if you took Sasuke before Orochimaru attacked; kept him safe from the council's punishment? I will be calling a meeting to ask our allies for help. We may not need to offer your brother for our protection," the Hokage finished, watching as Itachi returned to looking out over the forest.

"I'm in the Akatsuki, surrounded by killers of all kinds. I'm a murderer myself. What makes you think Sasuke would be safe with me?"

"You wouldn't let anyone touch him. We both know that."

"Even so, I have duties to complete. Even now I'm risking my liability talking with you and being _here_," Itachi snapped, suddenly eyeing the trees in a paranoid manner. Tsunade did so herself, but saw nothing and looked back over the village. The rogue let out a small growl, obviously not sure of what to do. She knew he'd do anything to save Sasuke from harm, and also knew that—in this particular situation—either decision could end up killing his brother, something he couldn't and _still_ wouldn't do. "You say Orochimaru spoke with him after his rescue. When was it? What exactly happened?"

"He snuck right in under my ANBUs' noses and beat the shit out of him." A very obvious shutter was seen rocketing up the Uchiha's spine. Tsunade knew well that it was out of pure fury. The man let go of his grip on the railing and also turned to lean back against it, toned arms crossing over his equally toned chest. How could he have not heard of this. Kisame and he had traveled close by the village not too long ago and he hadn't heard a word of Sasuke. It shocked and infuriated him, not only because he despised that bastard-snake but because he had brought harm to his beloved sibling. He felt helpless, something he was not accustomed to. The man was always in control, no matter the situation. This experience gave him great anxiety.

"I will take him," he whispered after another while of silence passed between the two. The amber-eyed woman nodded her response, watching as the Akatsuki vanished into the night air, leaving the Hokage to think in peace.

* * *

><p>Sasuke cracked his eyes open weakly, wincing as he felt his tight muscles ache in misery. The black-haired boy blinked once, twice, three times and yawned slightly. Where was he again? The sheets covering him were much too warm to be from his cell, the mattress much too comfortable. The Uchiha sat up with quivering arms, half-lidded eyes rolling to examine his surroundings in quiet contemplation. The room was medium-sized with a kitchen included, though small. Sasuke tensed as he noticed the man on the far side of the room, sitting at a table with a notebook in front of him. The child turned his head momentarily to see that it was dark outside.<p>

_Is it night time? How long was I out?_ he wondered to himself, then returned his gaze to the white-haired man.

"What happened," he ordered simply, rubbing his eyes as his head spun slightly. The Uchiha's stomach flipped rebelliously and threatened to empty itself. Jiraiya looked up from his writing, black eyes narrowed and cold. The feeling in the room dropped dramatically as he began to glare silently at the young rogue, who in response gulped anxiously. Sasuke didn't appreciate the look one bit. "I asked you a question . . ." he ventured further, his own stare morphing into a fierce, fiery look.

"Go back to sleep," the elder snarled quietly and returned to his work. The Uchiha ground his teeth mercilessly and attempted to stand, but his legs cramped up as he did so and forced him back down on the mattress. He let out a small whimper of distress and Jiraiya ignored it well. Sasuke, after recovering from his pain, sat up again and glared at the other. It didn't seem like he was going to be of any help, so the boy took to looking over his new room. It was lightly decorated, though even that was a bit of a stretch. Only one picture met his eyes. Sasuke looked closer at it, crawling over his bed to reach for it. He felt drawn to it oddly enough. Once close enough, the boy reached to pick it up by the frame. A large hand clasped his smaller wrist in a vice, bringing a shout of surprise from Sasuke.

"Don't touch anything."

"Don't order me. And who is that," the rogue pointed toward the pale ninja in the photograph. Their eyes shown brightly behind their locks of ebony hair. The white-haired sannin recoiled at the question, hand quickly slamming the picture face-down on the desk.

"No questions. Go back to sleep," he snarled under his breath and walked back to the table. Sasuke rubbed his pulsing wrist tenderly. What had that been for? All he'd asked was who the child in the photo had been. The image had made him feel odd—the same anxiety he had felt whenever that blond kid had walked into his cell. He knew them somehow, Naruto and the pale boy. But how? He didn't remember meeting them a day in his life. Then again, he didn't remember a day in his life before waking to the blonde woman's voice. What had happened to him before that? The Uchiha growled and held his head in his hands, catching the attention of his current guard easily.

Jiraiya set his pen down, closing the white notebook and rising from the table. He took in a breath before saying, "When I come back, you better not have done anything," then he vanished into the air. Sasuke had lifted his head in time to see and he was greatly confused by the sight. How was that even possible? Why couldn't he perform such tricks? The rogue, after asking himself many questions and coming up with no answers, looked back at the photograph. The temptation was heavy and thick like fog and Sasuke slowly began to raise his hand to lift it back up. No one stopped his advances and his fingers finally met the cold, plastic frame.

_Why didn't he want me seeing this?_ the rogue wondered as he admired the photo. His black eyes roamed over the four faces and rested on the pale one once again. He knew him. He _knew_ that he knew this boy. Sasuke brought the picture closer to his face, trying to see the ninja's eyes better. As he did, his muscles grew taut and cramped, making him drop the frame to the floor. Flashes of foreign scenes burst before his eyes, a forest, a bite, snakes, and Naruto, though all of them simply made him confused. He recalled unimaginable pain in his shoulder, which he rubbed subconsciously. Whoever that boy was, he feared him greatly. Sasuke's stomach finally had taken enough pressure and the boy coughed up bile onto the sheets, staining them a deep yellow. His throat burned painfully at the acid running up it and the Uchiha groaned bitterly. His shoulder began tingling wildly and he dug his fingers into his skin in an attempt to stop the sensation. Of course, it did not work. His vision darkened as the tingling turned to throbbing, nails clawing at his skin desperately. Why was he hurting so much? Before he could take a closer look at what was causing him such agony, his body froze up. The last thing he saw was black flames dancing down his left arm.

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><p><strong> Well that took an eternity to write. My apologies. I've been very . . . preoccupied.<strong>

**Reviews are loved.**

_Nat_


	20. Update

Hey! Sorry, not a real update. If, due to my collection of smut, my account is deleted, I will switch to my side account, The Curt Cat. But, if that too is frozen, I will be forced to make a new one, so I will be able to explain where my stories will be moving. The name will likely be **The Snickering Fox**. Just keep that in mind! If any of you know a good site that is easy and well made, please tell me! If you have questions, or can't seem to track me down for the stories, my **email** is **batmanassistant at g mail dot com**, and please don't hesitate to offer opinions on where I should go!

_Nat_


	21. Chapter 21

**Bloop. I hope this story isn't taken down . . . I'm kinda thinking it won't, nor will my others. But, for funzies, my profile will not change until I'm completely sure I'm safe. Enjoy the long-awaited chapter!**

**Don't own this crap.**

**Getting it on? Abso-fucking-lutely.**

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><p>Naruto worked at his jacket's zipper, ignoring most of the talk hovering around him. He vaguely heard his sensei, Sakura, and Tsunade-baa, but he didn't care. Apparently, Sasuke had been put under strict watch, and no one was to see him. Of course, that didn't sit well with Naruto. He had spent months searching for the Uchiha, and now that he'd gotten him back they'd been forced apart. What ludicrousness was at work here? Hokage-sama. What ass had come up with such a plan? Hokage-sama. Who the hell thought they'd be able to keep him away from Sasuke? Hokage-<em>sama<em>. The blond's fist tightened on the table, the hand messing with his jacket fallowing suit. His eyes narrowed significantly as his anger boiled and sizzled in his mind, fulling his overwhelming desire to interrupt the conversation going on around him. Naruto's sensei, Kakashi, noticed the child's silence, and rested his serious gaze on his shoulders.

"Naruto," he called once, but the boy's cerulean orbs remained focused on the tabletop. "Naruto," he reiterated in a stern voice. Said ninja snapped his head up straight, fierce glare meeting the elder's lone, grey eye. "You have nothing to say on the matter of Sasuke?" Kakashi questioned, wondering what his student's response would be. Naruto's teeth gritted. The older man saw the telltale sign of the youth's frustration, mentally preparing himself to be snapped at.

"You always get on to me for talking too much. Why are you wanting me to speak now," the blond hissed icily. It was not a question, they realized, but a threat. The child who had always been thought of as dense was now baiting his superiors. Tsunade sat at the head of the table, pigtails falling over her shoulders as she leaned forward, hands folded meters in front of her face. The woman's amber eyes sparked with agitation, yet glowed dimly with underlying respect. The child was faithful, she'd give him that much.

"You know Sasuke well, Naruto," she began, becoming the target of the blond's intense and fiery glare. "We just want to know what you think would help. You're opinion matters to me." A pause followed. "But do be reasonable." With that being said, Naruto arose, shaking the table with his speed.

"Reasonable? _You're_ asking _me_ to be reasonable?" he fumed wildly, blue orbs gleaming.

"Naruto, sit down," his sensei ordered, and the blond, to everyone's shock, turned and stomped out the door. Tsunade took in a heavy sigh.

_Don't worry, Naruto. Sasuke will be safe._

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><p>His vision was foggy as he stumbled through the room, knocking over chairs as he went. He felt odd. Was he sick? No, he wasn't exactly lethargic. In fact, he felt as if he was on a power surge. The raven hit the bedside table with a dull thump, leaning over it and growling. The seal on the back of his neck pulsed wildly, sucking up the curse mark's chakra as quickly as it was sent out. The constant draining was confusing Sasuke's body, muscles straining in preparation for battle, then going lax as the power was sucked up. The Uchiha jolted as the black marks began to crawl further across his body, falling to the floor and bringing the desk with him. Sasuke curled up into a ball and whined. He was so confused.<p>

"GAH!" he choked, bloody saliva slipping over his lips and drooling onto the carpet. Where had that man gone? _H-he's probably doing this to me_ he realized, lifting himself up with some trouble. "Stop!" he ordered, wincing afterward. It hurt so bad, yet felt so good sometimes. He felt power course through him between the blinding pain. With blurry vision, Sasuke managed to gaze over the room. He was alone, it seemed. That man was gone. The Uchiha was alone. Another wave of unbearable pain shot through him, and he fell limp upon the floor.

The marks receded back to his shoulder, where they shrank into the mark that plastered itself on to the Uchiha's ivory flesh. Once faded, he awakened, eyes hazy and unfocused. The pain was only a dull throb now, and his balance was regained after he attempted to rise up a couple of times. Swaying on his feet precariously, the Uchiha's ebony eyes fell to the door, his escape from wherever he was. Sasuke hurried toward it, turning the handle and shielding himself from the unbridled light filtering into his eyes. It'd been a while since he'd been outdoors, so tenderness was to be expected. Of course, he didn't have a clue how long he was down in that cell. It could have been months since the sun had graced itself upon his white complexion. It looked to be that way, at least.

With a cautious step, he inched out, wondering if that man was going to show himself anytime. When silence greeted him, he shimmied out, closing the door behind him. The black-haired boy leaned over the railing, roaming over the place before him. Lots of people, that was for sure. And a forest outside its walls. Was this his clan that blonde woman had spoken of? No, that wasn't right. They said his clan had been destroyed somehow. A sigh eased out from his lungs, and Sasuke made his way down the stairs and to the streets. Before he could decide where to go, a hand snatched his arm and spun him around. Sasuke was face to face with the man from before—Jiraiya, he remembered.

"What the fuck, brat? What are you doing out here?" he snarled, black eyes boring into the youth's crisp, matching optics. Sasuke gasped in the initial shock, pulling vigorously at the iron hold with intent to run. But Jiraiya's grip did not waver. "Calm down, Uchiha!" he barked and made that strange hand motion again. Sasuke let his teeth grind together as their surroundings spun out of control, slowing down a moment later to reveal the man's apartment again. The boy crumpled to his knees, befuddle and breathless from the transportation jutsu. He lifted his hand to cover his mouth, nausea assaulting his stomach.

"What _is_ that?" Sasuke managed to choke out, but received no response from the elder. He was at his desk, pencil and notebook in his hand like before.

"If you try and do that again, I'll break your legs and leave you on the porch for the ANBU to take care of." The threat, to any normal prisoner, would have done the trick immediately, for the highly ranked police force was not something to be trifled with. But Sasuke, not exactly being a normal prisoner, did not understand the man, and instead shot back with a cold snarl.

"I'm not scared of you," he retorted fearlessly—or perhaps ignorantly. Jiraiya let out a demeaning chuckle, finding the boy's remark uncannily similar to his old, premature self. Sasuke grimaced and let his gaze turn downcast, a red tint glazing his cheeks and ears. A fire in his spirit urged him to bite back, go at the man with all he had. But he ignored the voice. He felt so helpless. These people could do things amazing, things he would imagine weren't possible. The Uchiha lifted his hands and looked them over, eyes narrowed seriously. He tried mimicking the others' motions, bending his fingers to match. Nothing happened; he didn't feel a thing. Jiraiya peered at the boy from where he sat, tensing when he noticed the child forming hand seals. He stood up without changing his gaze, making Sasuke jump and glare stubbornly at the older man.

"Don't do that." Sasuke's harsh gaze faded into confusion, frowning and unhooking his hands from each other. Obviously that was the secret to how they did such things, or he wouldn't be so alarmed about it.

"Is that how you do it? Are those hand motions the way you all fight?" he said in more of a statement. Jiraiya ground his teeth menacingly. He was putting things together at an alarming rate. Sasuke smirked at his silence, trying again to make the same signs. Jiraiya jerked forward, but stopped, realizing the boy would be little threat without his chakra. The seal he'd drawn up to be used on the youth was trustworthy, and he relied that it was still effective. He was a master at seals, anyways. The sannin simply settled down at his desk and listened as the Uchiha snarled and grumbled under his breath, face flushing as he tried to force his hands closer together. With a petite gasp, he gave up, hunching over and sitting on the shins of his legs. He was so tired since whatever that attack was. A sudden thought occurred to him. "Hey, what did you do to me—before you found me outside? What were those black marks from?" Sasuke asked, voice hard and determined. The older man turned his attention to his prisoner, furrowing his eyebrows seriously.

"What type of black markings? On your body, or somewhere else?" Sasuke's glare softened, seeing that the elder was worried about what he'd just asked.

"My body. It came out of nowhere when I was—" he let his ebony orbs roll to land on the picture frame, jumping when Jiraiya growled.

"I told you not to look at that, brat. Now describe the fucking marks to me," the sannin demanded. He stormed over to the picture and snatched it up, shoving it inside one of the nightstand's drawers and squatting in front of Sasuke. "Was it here? Did they start spreading from here?" Sasuke whimpered as the man grasped his left shoulder, grazing his curse mark and sending waves over tenderness up to his brain.

"Ah! Y-yes, from there. Please, it . . hurts," he stuttered, eyes clenching shut at the touch. Jiraiya ripped the collar of his shirt immediately, narrowing his black optics at the glowing, ugly, vicious tattoo. The Uchiha was forced on his side, finding his head held down by the elder's larger hand. A scream tore from his vocal cords as Jiraiya roughly rubbed the painful skin, clawing out desperately. "Stop! Stop it!"

"Did this happen recently? When did the marks spread."

"Before you showed up! I was looking at—" an agonized pause was made from Sasuke, "that boy in the picture. I heard someone—a man talked to me. Then they spread," he willingly choked out, yelping again as another pulse rocked his body. Jiraiya quickly bit his thumb, forcing the boy onto his stomach and tearing the rest of his shirt open, revealing his sweat-covered, pale back. The chakra seal would stop the mark, perhaps. It was the only option he could quickly administer at the moment. He pressed his bleeding digit against it, feeling the rogue's body contract and writhe helplessly beneath him. This would work, he told himself. The mark couldn't eat up his chakra if he had none.

His thoughts were interrupted by Sasuke's screech as the curse unleashed again.

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><p>Itachi sighed stiffly as the last ninja fell, looking up and allowing the rain to pound lightly against his calm face. Kisame eyed his partner with scrutiny, heaving his sword back over his shoulder and securing it around his broad chest.<p>

"Well done, Itachi. I was hoping you'd allow me the first strike this time. It's unlike you to be so generous, though," the shark gestured to his partner, his enigmatic companion. Itachi did not move. His black eyes slid shut with nary a glance to the blue akatsuki, reveling the rain's cold, calming embrace. The blood on his skin mingled shyly with the trails of water. Kisame only turned his attention elsewhere, crouching and beginning to loot the corpses. Pein had said there should be a scroll on one of them. "Care to lend a hand, Itachi? Unless you're fully intending to just take a shower there, I'd suggest you hurry this up and help me," he pestered. He didn't like looting dead men. His elite sense of smell refused to ignore the scent of rotting, stiffening flesh, and though he'd never admit it, it was the worst smell to him.

The smaller man joined him silently, forehead creased with frustration. His partner did not miss the obvious stress Itachi was under. With all the experiences he'd had with the Uchiha, he knew questioning him on personal affairs was suicide. And if not that, it was pointless. Itachi didn't share his fights, didn't express his opinions, and he certainly wouldn't describe his inner turmoils to him. He wouldn't waste his breath, but curiosity was always a strong part of him. The swordsman scooted to the next pile of bodies, beady eyes continuing to fall on Itachi's shoulders. The man didn't seem to notice, that or he didn't care. Kisame gave in to his engorged wonder, deciding to prick a few strings and see if he could open the man up for inspection.

"Are you thinking about Sasuke, again? I hear Konoha managed to bring him back. Though if that's a rumor or not, I'm not sure." The Sharingan user tensed minutely at his observation, stopping his searching to stare ahead of himself. A pregnant pause filled the air.

"I heard that too," Itachi answered, sultry voice thick with intensity. His partner had hardly ever seen him so open to conversation. He'd barely even coaxed him out of his shell.

"Do you believe it?"

"I heard it from a trustworthy source, so yes, I do." By source he meant Tsunade-san herself. Though Kisame did not know this.

The shark cocked his head in bewilderment, curiosity urging him for more answers. Who had Itachi heard this from, and why did he trust them so? Hadn't he heard it from the same, banal, ragtag group he'd heard it from, their organization? Kisame hadn't seen or heard so much gossip and dead-ends being shared in all of his life before joining the Akatsuki. Deidara and Hidan were the worst at useless, unwarranted information sharing. It wasn't a surprise. They were in the villages more than the others, picking up trails and leads on things for Pein. The gossips of the towns filled their ears nonstop probably. Hell, they'd spread anything that'd come from the old heifers' babbling mouths.

"Don't tell me you're coming to believe in what Hidan says. He's more ignorant than Tobi." At the mention of their newest associates name, the smallest of grimaces crossed Itachi's figure. Tobi didn't sit well with the Uchiha, ever since he'd joined. Though it was an enigma to his partner, who though he found the man to be useless did not see him as a threat of any sort.

"I do not listen to the other members and their causerie," the Uchiha replied smoothly. "But I do know Sasuke is back in Konoha."

"Well, isn't that a good thing for you? He isn't with Orochimaru anymore. Tsunade will keep him locked up and far away from that bastard." The shark stopped his talking as his partner stood, obviously turned sour by the shark's words.

"I've found the scroll. We are heading back to the base," he told the swordsman, making his way toward the tree-line without another look at his companion.

Kisame thought better than to disagree. He didn't want to come off as too eager in the man. That'd just shut him out more. With a sigh of defeat, he trailed after Itachi, deciding he'd inquire more later.

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><p>Jiraiya watched with narrowed eyes, following the black marks as they spread wildly across Sasuke's darkening skin. They flared with power, forcing a screech to erupt from he Uchiha's throat.<p>

"Stop!" he pleaded, fingernails digging into the carpet below his writhing, sweaty form, which was quickly becoming overcome by the curse. Jiraiya shielded himself from the erupting wing, backing up as it flapped and stretched in a frenzy. Sasuke became silent, pain wrapping around his vocal chords and making him suffer in silent agony. The elder turned as he felt the Anbu arrive, though why they'd taken so long was a mystery to him. Perhaps they did not care if Sasuke were in danger, but this was a bit much. Something as strong and pungent as the curse seal have been easily distinguished and investigated.

"It's about time you decided to show up," the white-haired sannin barked, holding the Uchiha down with discomfort. The child's morphing was going to make restraining him much harder, the sudden bursts of energy being thwarted as his seal sucked it up. The Uchiha would force Jiraiya back, then collapse into a heap upon the floor. His sharingan flickered like a dying lightbulb, confusing Sasuke all the more. He didn't recognize the visual affects, gawking in awe as he could—at one moment—watch as swirling balls of blue flame engulfed the men, then flicker out and return to normal.

"What's . . . happening?" he choked, spit trailing past his lips and dribbling down his chin. His thin, pale, trembling form hunched over the carpet, saliva turning it a shade darker as it sank into the floor.

The Anbu were on him in seconds, restraining every limb and putting the Uchiha into a firm choke-hold. Sasuke took in stifled breath, finding this new position quite intolerable. The boy whimpered and coughed weakly as the one around his neck crushed his wind-pipe, making swallowing almost impossible and causing his mouth to fall open in an attempt to receive oxygen. He winced as the seal on his back drained him again, making his limbs twitch unresponsively.

"Wha-at's h-happening?" he stuttered, fear capturing his appearance as Jiraiya stood before his restrained form, eyes narrowed sternly. The elder took in his shaking, grey form. He didn't look to be able to do anything.

"Drop your hold; it isn't necessary." The Anbu obeyed reluctantly, allowing the child to collapse limp on the carpet and moan audibly. The sannin above crouched, brushing aside his now waist-length hair and revealing his chakra seal. "This will keep him in check. He'll pass out sooner or later, and when he does we'll check that curse mark."

"He may be dangerous like this," one ninja retaliated, backing up as Sasuke's wings folded into his back once again, making the Uchiha yelp in pain. The white haired man above him gave the Anbu an erudite look.

"See? The seal will drain the chakra coming from Orochimaru's jutsu. Once that's gone, the curse will recede, and Sasuke will pass out." The white-haired writer looked back toward the boy for a moment. "Well, he probably will. The stress on his chakra veins is immense right now. If not unconscious, he'll be far too weak to fight." The Anbu all fidgeted nervously as Sasuke's back arched, a shrill yell emitting from his surely sore throat. The men watched as the curse began to diminish, crawling back to the Uchiha's shoulder slothfully. With that, Sasuke's body fell into convulsions, before finally, with one last, pain-laced scream, he collapsed onto his stomach. Jiraiya let go a breath he'd been withholding, his muscles un-tensing and going slack across his muscled body. The younger men across the room seemed to mimic his relief, some rubbing the backs of their heads uneasily.

"What do you all think you're doing?" The Anbu jumped to attention at the author's stern words, attention falling on the sannin.

"Sir?"

"Get moving! Tsunade needs to hear of this as son as she possibly can. What the hell are you doing just gawking motionlessly?" The young men did not respond, vanishing the next moment and leaving the sannin's apartment in silence. The ninja returned his hard, calloused gaze back to the child at his feet, clicking his tongue with resentment. His curse mark shouldn't be reacting so viciously. The seal should be strong enough to hold it back if Sasuke became angered. What had happened? The picture came to mind, and the man moved to his table in a rushed manner. The shattered frame was there as he'd left it, and Jiraiya grimaced noticeably as memories assaulted his mind, the days when Orochimaru and he were not very different from Naruto and Sasuke, rivaling one another with trifle differences. He stopped himself before he reminisced further, retuning to the issue at hand. Sasuke, yes, the boy's curse had somehow been able to take advantage of him even with the chakra seal. Looking over the picture, the man's eyes stopped to rest on Orochimaru's. It must have been his image. With his memory loss, the emotional toll would have been enough to shove his system out of whack. The snake could harm the boy even when he was so far away.

_Or close_, he corrected himself, remembering his threat to attack the village. A shiver ran up his spine at the very thought. Orochimaru was a force to be reckoned with. If they were able to bring him down, the minimal damage would most likely be his wrecking of half the entire village. Konoha would be in ruins if such an event took place. Jiraiya's fist slammed down onto his table, taking the brute force of his anger out on the wood. Tsunade was a fool if she didn't just hand Sasuke over. His life was meaningless when compared to Konohagakure's existence, no different when comparing it even to a petty thief's. The Uchiha was blemished with the stains of deceit, something much too difficult for time to wash away. But, arguing was of no use to him now. Whatever decision would be made would stand, whether he agreed with it or not. He just hoped she'd make the proper choice.

The man returned to Sasuke's side, awaiting Tsunade's arrival.

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><p>They had been quiet for some time, again, and Kisame was growing unsteady. He was a talkative man, despite his occupation, and preferred idle chat instead of silence. With a grunt of acknowledgment, he turned to his partner, Itachi, and shrugged his sword into a more comfortable position before breaking the air.<p>

"Were you unhappy to hear of Sasuke's return?" he inquired, trying a different route this time. Perhaps if he guessed his feelings correctly he'd feel more at ease and open up. Though after minutes of awaiting an answer, the shark gave a thick cough and returned to looking ahead of them, more or less used to his partner's apathetic personality. To say he wasn't annoyed with it would be a lie, though.

"I was not unhappy." The words almost made Kisame jump in surprise, having already fallen into a state of spiraling inner conversations.

"You weren't? So you were happy he was rescued. It's understandable. There's no telling what Orochimaru had been planning. I know you were not pleased when Pein explained his theory, how Orochimaru was after your brother's Sharingan."

"Who would not be. That Snake does not even deserve the life he was gifted with," Itachi grumbled coldly, surprising his companion with his feelings. He hardly ever showed his opinions, remaining on the borderline with most situations. Kisame did not believe he was so fickle, of course. He knew he just appeared unbiased due to his lack of socializing. Being his partner, he knew the Uchiha had stern ideas about how he wanted things to go. Kisame grunted with agreement. He had never actually met the sannin, having come after his leaving the Akatsuki, though he was not envious of those who had. The facts he'd picked up concerning the snake were not pleasant, and his name seemed to be as toxic as his pets' venom. Never had he run into an admirer of the man.

"That is true," he voiced. "But why would you bother in his affairs? It isn't effecting you directly, so really there is no reason to keep track of such things." Kisame soon regretted his words, almost being able to see his partner's shell closing back up. With a heavy sigh, he leapt off yet another tree branch. He'd bring it up later, he presumed. Itachi would soon give way to his earnest exploration. That, or the shark would find himself with a kunai in his throat. But curiosity was a strong emotion in Kisame, and he'd soon find out what he wanted to know, if it took forever and a day.

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><p><strong>FINALLY!<strong>

**/gives myself a party hat**

**I'm sorry that took WAY TOO LONG to update. I switched schools and all, so I've been settling into that for the past few weeks. I do hope I haven't lost anyone due to my absence!**

**Yes, Kisame and Itachi are closer than cannon. No, I don't give a fuck. I like that—their subtle trust in one another. It's tranquil. So please just learn to love it.**

**And lol, oh Jiraiya, you dip-shit. xD**

_*****Important*****_

_**Like to follow this story? Like to follow my other stories? Check me out on tumblr and receive updates on your story's progress. Follow TheSmilingFox for accurate and fast chapter checkups (and spam concerning my daily life).**_

_**And I've also in desperate need of a . . . role-play partner. YES. YES, I AM AWARE OF HOW GAY I AM. Mail me if you're interested . . 8D**_

**Reviews are always adored!~**

_Nat_


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